BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US-based International African American Museum (IAAM), enhancing collaboration on several cultural and tourism ventures and projects.
A government statement said that the MOU aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation and exchanges in culture, heritage, tourism, and the creative industries between Barbados and IAAM.
The document on cooperation in culture and tourism was signed on Sunday by the 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 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 due to 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 exchanging information and experts in film, visual arts, audio-visual, fashion, genealogy, cultural organizations, and heritage. It also allows for tourism promotion, marketing, development, investment, and planning.
Munro-Knight aids 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 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 it is still essential 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 thrilled 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 preserving 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. Still, our ancestors survived, and we are evidence of that.
“Right now, it is great to be in a place where we can link our arms; we can put on the shoes of our ancestors. We can claim the agency that has been left and create a legacy for generations to come,” Mrs. Greene said.
The United States Congress established the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area to recognize 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.
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