FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (February 23, 2025) – The Caribbean island of Martinique is celebrating Black Historical past via the lens of its distinctive identification and historical past, which have been impacted deeply by the actions and contribution of great Black figures.
Main the commemoration, the Martinique Tourism Authority has been leveraging the month of February as a possibility not just for reflection of the island’s personal historical past, but in addition its connections to the broader French Caribbean and the African diaspora.
“The historical past of Martinique is stuffed with pages of tales of Black women and men who fought in opposition to the oppression, injustice and bondage they witnessed throughout them. Lots of them made unimaginable sacrifices to result in adjustments they didn’t reside to see. As Martinicans at the moment, we’re proud to honor their religion, resilience, creativity, and imaginative and prescient that made us the individuals we’re at the moment,” stated Muriel Wiltord, Director of the Americas of the Martinique Tourism Authority.
Noting that from poetry and literature to political thought and creative expression, the contributions of Martinique and the broader Francophone Caribbean to Black historical past deserve better world recognition, Wiltord acknowledged that in Black Historical past Month, the Martinique Tourism Authority has been spotlighting throughout social media a few of the people who’ve formed the island’s identification.
A Legacy of Black Excellence
Martinique has been dwelling to a few of the most influential voices in Black thought and cultural expression. Aimé Césaire, poet, playwright, and politician, was one of many founders of the Négritude motion, which sought to empower Black identification and resist colonial oppression. His works proceed to encourage and outline the struggles and triumphs of Black individuals worldwide. Immediately, his legacy lives on via the Aimé Césaire Worldwide Airport in Martinique and a commemorative plaque on the Panthéon in Paris.
One other towering determine is Frantz Fanon, whose revolutionary writings on decolonization and race, together with Black Pores and skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth, have influenced liberation actions throughout Africa and the Caribbean. This 12 months marks the centenary of the start of Frantz Fanon, and “Année Frantz Fanon” is being commemorated with numerous occasions and actions, together with a global symposium scheduled for later this 12 months. His work stays a cornerstone for discussions on Black consciousness and resistance.
The literary and philosophical contributions of Édouard Glissant additional enriched the cultural and historic panorama of Martinique, advancing concepts of créolité and cultural range that proceed to form Caribbean identification at the moment.
A Shared Historical past of Battle and Triumph
The struggles of Martinique are deeply intertwined with these of the Caribbean, whose resistance in opposition to oppression ignited the combat for freedom all through the area. This shared historical past unites the individuals of the Caribbean, Africa and the diaspora, reinforcing the significance of recognizing and honoring these connections.
“As we mirror on the unbelievable legacy of our forebears, we should proceed to coach and enlighten our youthful generations in order that they, too, will honor the wealthy, advanced historical past of Black identification and achievement and our distinctive Martiniqualité, which continues to form our island and the world,” acknowledged Wiltord.
