BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Barbados has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US-based International African American Museum (IAAM), resulting in enhanced collaboration on a number of cultural and tourism ventures and projects.
Minister with responsibility for Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, signing the MOU while IAAM President, Dr. Tonya Matthews (left); Director of Cultural Policy and Research in the Division of Culture, Dr. Donna Greene-Rusnighi (standing); and Barbados’ Consul General to Miami, Rudy Grant, look on. (BGIS Photo)A government statement said that the MOU is aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and exchanges in culture, heritage, tourism, and the creative industries between Barbados and IAAM.
The document on cooperation in the field of culture and tourism was signed on Sunday by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for culture, Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight and the IAAM president and chief executive officer, Dr. Tonya Matthews.
“We really value the partnership with the IAAM and the sacrifices made by the team to journey to Barbados to connect with us and become a part of the story that we share,” said Munro-Knight.
Matthews expressed optimism about the linkages to be formed as a result of the MOU.
The IAAM is located in Charleston, South Carolina, and was officially opened to the public on June 27, 2023.
Meanwhile, Barbados and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area in South Carolina have signed a MOU to promote enhanced bilateral relations in tourism and culture.
Munro-Knight signed on behalf of the government, while executive director Victoria Smalls, represented Gullah Geechee.
The MOU promotes the exchange of information and experts in the areas of film, visual arts, audio-visual, fashion, genealogy, and cultural organisations and heritage. It also allows for tourism promotion, marketing, development, investment, and planning.
Munro-Knight aid that as Barbados continues to evolve as a new republic, emphasis will be placed on “valuing the creative energies of our people”, and “charting the path forward based on friendship and partnerships”.
“It’s a particularly poignant moment for me because I think everybody who’s worked with me knows that I am one that like a lot of outputs. And I remember when we were gathered in another space in October 2022.
“So, we have committed ourselves to this MOU and it has happened a little less quickly than I would have liked, but we are here perhaps one year later, but still very important, in order for us to solidify our partnership and working relationship together in a structured way.
“There’s still more for us to do…more for us to chart, and there’s still more for us to uncover and I’m so very happy that we are doing this today and together as a family,” Munroe-Knight added.
Meanwhile, Smalls thanked the Barbados government for the partnership and the shared commitment to the preservation of the culture and history, which she described as a “testament to the enduring power of unity”.
“We look forward to a future of collaboration, cultural exchanges, and deeper understanding for learning scholarship of the Gullah Geechee people and the Bajan people together,” she added.
Barbados’ Honorary Consul to South Carolina, Rhoda Greene, noted that Barbados’ position in the Western Hemisphere and the world cannot be underestimated given its past ties to slavery, and spoke to the significance of reaching out to form linkages.
“We were forced to shoulder such a responsibility to be the stewards of a history that changed the world. And little by little, step by step, we have the opportunity to reach out and embrace the connectivity of a people who represent a very, very horrendous, horrific past, but our ancestors survived and we are evidence of that….
“Right now, it is great to be in a place where we are able to link our arms; we are able to put on the shoes of our ancestors. We are able to claim the agency that has been left and to create a legacy for generations to come,” Mrs. Greene said.
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area was established by the United States Congress to recognise the unique culture of the Gullah Geechee people. They have traditionally resided in the coastal areas and sea islands of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
