The Prime Minister’s Office made a twenty thousand dollar contribution to the ICAR in commemoration of Marcus Garvey’s birthday on August 17th.

Born on 17th August 1887, Garvey was a Jamaican political activist. Believing that black people needed to be financially independent from white-dominated societies, Garvey launched various businesses in the United States,  including the Negro Factories Corporation and Negro World newspaper. 

The ICAR President, a self-proclaimed student of Garvey, says PM Pierre follows in many of the black activist’s footsteps with his dedication to the “ordinary people” in Saint Lucia.

 “The work that he's doing to help the ordinary folks, the poor people like reinstating things like the distress fund. That is a great thing because a lot of people, their little plywood houses get burned down, they don't have that kind of assistance. So it goes to show that he's following in the footsteps of men like Marcus Garvey,” he said.

 Alexander says an understanding of Saint Lucia’s and the Caribbean’s history will help shape the path toward further development. 

Taking a jab at a 2020 comment by former Prime Minister Chastanet, Alexander disagrees that there was a conscience to colonisation.

 “We have to keep telling our story. No more of his story, but our story needs to be told. And when we tell our story, we will realise that colonialism had no conscience, because it totally destroyed us and dissipated us as a people.” 

Prime Minister Pierre, upon assuming the premiership of Saint Lucia, commenced islandwide Emancipation Month Celebrations as a means of enkindling citizens’ consciousness.