The plaque on the Wickham-Lewis Boardwalk in The City standing once again in position. Last Friday, Historian Trevor Marshall brought to the public's attention that it had fallen and he made the call then for it to be re-erected.
Plaque back in place
The City plaque which highlights where the African enslaved persons came ashore to Barbados has been re-erected.
A call was made last Friday for this to occur after the plaque was discovered by Historian Trevor Marshall lying flat at its location on the Wickham-Lewis Boardwalk along the Careenage in Bridgetown.
Pointing out this discovery to the media, Marshall on that occasion expressed concern that someone may be injured or that someone may walk on the fallen plaque. He also shared that he suspected that the screws supporting it might have loosened during the terrible sea conditions experience in the area when the outer bands of Hurricane Irma affected the island.
Meanwhile, going into detail about the significance of the memorial, Marshall explained that, “The plaque has been here from 2009. It was authorised by the then Prime Minister, the late Hon. David Thompson to be put here because it is thought that it is at this point that the boats bringing the enslaved Africans docked.”
He added that the plaque was erected because “it indicates that this is where the ancestors of 280 000 Barbadians – black as well as some Bajan whites – came ashore here as enslaved people.”
Giving an additional reason for his concern, Marshall stated, “We are in the era now of people getting rid of offending statues, but this is a memorial which does not offend. In fact, it elucidates, it enlightens, it even inspires because Barbados was the distribution point for the entire British Caribbean.”
(MG)窪