Fellow citizens,
Injustice is the mother of many ills. It can give rise to debilitating frustration; it can give rise to unbridled anger. Injustice can bring out the worst in ourselves.
In rare cases, though, injustice can bring out the best in ourselves. One such case, is the case of the Spiritual Baptist community. The Spiritual Baptist community affords one of the greatest examples of injustice bringing out the best in ourselves.
On 16 November 1917, an unspeakable injustice in the form of the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance was perpetrated against the Spiritual Baptist community. The discriminatory ban prohibited members from congregating, erecting a place of worship or otherwise practising their religious beliefs. The colonial authorities sought to sugar-coat this injustice as an effort to reduce the disturbance to public order caused by the shouting and bell-ringing characteristic of Spiritual Baptist gatherings. The Spiritual Baptist community would not be daunted by that contrivance. They recognised the injustice for what it was. Yet, rather than allowing that injustice to erupt into either debilitating frustration or unbridled anger, they turned their efforts within, committed themselves all the more to their beliefs and their aspirations, and, for the next 34 years, put on one of the most extraordinary displays of courage, resilience and determination in modern history. In so doing, the Spiritual Baptist community set an example that has inspired and encouraged generations of Trinbagonians.
Drawing upon the tenets of their faith, the Spiritual Baptist community resisted and endured. Their faithfulness and resolve were rewarded when, on March 30, 1951, the Ordinance was repealed, and they won, formally, the right that was always theirs to practise their religion with freedom and in dignity.
It would be foolhardy to pretend that there is no injustice in our society today. Today’s injustices might be more subtle than the overt and naked prejudice shown by the colonial authorities in 1917. But in many ways, they are no less painful or any less destructive. Today, as we grapple with injustices in our own lives, we, too, are called upon to resist and to endure. We are called upon to emulate the example of the Spiritual Baptist community. We are called upon to avoid yielding ourselves over to debilitating frustration or to unbridled anger. We are called upon to turn our efforts within, to commit ourselves all the more to our beliefs and our aspirations, and to vindicating the right that is always ours to be the master of our own destiny.
As we celebrate Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day this year, let it be more than a reminder of the injustices suffered by Spiritual Baptists. Let us celebrate the occasion as a testament to the importance of perseverance and steadfastness during times of trial and tribulation. Let us see the occasion as a celebration of our ability to resist and endure, and to secure freedom from oppression. Let us celebrate it as a demonstration of the possibilities that unfold when we stand firm and fight for what we believe in.
The response of the Spiritual Baptist community to injustice is a blueprint for every citizen to follow. It is a reminder of our duty as citizens to identify and call out injustices when, and where we see them. Fighting injustice is a shared responsibility. It means fighting, not just for our own liberation from injustice, but also fighting for the rights of our brothers and sisters.
Let us therefore take up the mantle that the Spiritual Baptist community has forged. Let us fight for one another. Let us fight to make our beloved country a better place for us all to live in.
It gives me great pleasure to extend to the Spiritual Baptist community and all citizens of our nation best wishes for a safe, happy and joyous celebration of Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day.
