Schools attend Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day Exhibition

Mar 25, 2025

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Today, 25 March, 2025, we had the honour of welcoming students from St. Bernadette’s Preparatory School and Rio Claro Presbyterian Primary to the Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day Exhibition, hosted by the Office of the President. With the support of The National Library Information Systems (NALIS) and the Spiritual Baptist Inc., the exhibition was officially launched to the staff of the Office of the President on March 24, 2025.

Dr. Agatha Carrington and her team from the Spiritual Baptist Inc. shared the powerful history of the Spiritual Baptist faith and its journey to liberation in 1951 after decades of struggle, under the 1917 Shouter Prohibition Ordinance, which criminalized its practices.

Through an interactive presentation and a guided tour of the many fascinating artefacts, students gained valuable insight into this important part of our national heritage, dispelling misconceptions and learning about the origins of the faith.

From March 25 to 28, 2025 selected schools from across Trinidad and Tobago will continue to visit the exhibition as part of a cultural and educational initiative by Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo, O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. This effort forms part of the thrust to make the President’s House more accessible for educational and cultural endeavours.

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Message from Her Excellency Christine Kangaloo ORTT, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Eid-ul-Fitr 2025Today, Muslims across the nation and the world celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting, prayer and spiritual growth. It is, at one and the same time, both an occasion of great rejoicing, as well as an opportunity for solemn reflection. It challenges Muslims to be celebratory, yet contemplative - a challenge to which our Muslim brothers and sisters show themselves equal, year after year.On the one hand, our Muslim brothers and sisters rejoice in the accomplishment of completing their fast or sawm, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. They express profound gratitude to Allah for granting them the strength and perseverance to endure the trials of fasting throughout the month of Ramadan. The sense of accomplishment which accompanies fulfilling this sacred duty is immeasurable, as it signifies their obedience to Allah's command and their commitment to personal and spiritual development.On the other hand, Eid marks the end of a period of intense and deeply rewarding introspection, self-discipline and drawing closer to God. During Ramadan, our Muslim brothers and sisters dedicate themselves fully to fasting from dawn to sunset, refraining from food, drink and other worldly distractions. This fasting, combined with increased prayer and acts of charity, allows them to strengthen their relationship with and to draw closer to Allah. As they do so, they enter into the highest form of self-actualization – oneness with their Creator. As Ramadan draws to a close, there is therefore often a bittersweet feeling among our Muslim brothers and sisters, for it signals the end of this sacred time of spiritual growth and attainment.Eid-ul-Fitr therefore is, in many ways, the embodiment of the beautiful duality of our human experience: of the capacity for unbridled joy and gratitude on the one side, and of the capacity for life-changing spiritual reflection, on the other. It reminds us that celebration need not exclude contemplation. It teaches us that setbacks are often followed by growth and progress, and that opposing emotions, such as happiness and sorrow, joy and sadness, can coexist and enrich the way we view and interpret life.As we join our Muslim brothers and sisters in celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr this year, let us, learn from the wisdom embedded in this balance. Let us embrace periods of celebration while also taking time for reflection and self-improvement. Let us acknowledge that in our human experience, there come both times of joy and times of sorrow, times which allow us to celebrate our successes and times when we are required to dig deeper, adjust our mindsets in the face of our challenges and disappointments, and search out positive sources of light. I believe that, were we to truly model the practices and the message of Eid, and were we to embrace and apply the wonderful example of our Muslim brothers and sisters, we would be able, as a nation, to overcome all challenges and unlock our full potential. I believe that it is in embracing the spirit of balance exemplified by our Muslim brothers and sisters, that we will become better equipped to build a stronger, more united Trinidad and Tobago. I extend to the Muslim and the national community best wishes for a happy and holy celebration of Eid-u-Fitr. May Almighty Allah accept and reward your efforts.Eid Mubarak to a#EidUlFitrl#ramadamm#officeofthepresidenttdentt ... See MoreSee Less

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Message from Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day 2025Fellow citizens, Resilience is the ability to adapt successfully in the face of adversity. It is more¬—much more—than just the ability to endure. A resilient people know that they will rise above every challenge that life presents. They know that they have the wherewithal to remain steadfast and to persist, even when the road ahead seems impossible. A resilient people never lose sight of their goals and remain committed to achieving a brighter, more hopeful future.This spirit of resilience is exactly what the Spiritual Baptist faithful embodied, when on November 16, 1917, the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917 came into being, denying them the freedom to worship, congregate and practise their beliefs. This oppressive law, along with the public persecution they faced, was designed to undermine the legitimacy of their faith and reinforce the colonial disdain for African customs and traditions. Fortunately for all of us, Spiritual Baptists did not yield to colonial pressure. They were resilient. They held fast to their faith, meeting secretly and enduring all manner of harassment and humiliation. After years of struggle and agitation, their efforts bore fruit in 1951 – as resilience often does - when the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance was finally repealed. That victory was not the end of their fight; rather, it only fuelled their continued pursuit of religious freedom, and in 1996, Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day was declared. The struggle of the Spiritual Baptist community for recognition, justice, dignity and freedom is, at one and the same time, a source of justifiable national pride as it is of tremendous inspiration. The story of Spiritual Baptists is the story of the true power of resilience, perseverance and commitment to a common cause. As a nation, we would do well to emulate and model their example. As our country faces our own struggles and challenges, the model of the Spiritual Baptists movement is available to us to draw from the wells of our inner strength and to stare down, as they did, the perils and the dangers that confront us. Much like the Spiritual Baptists, our success as a nation hinges on our recognising and accepting that resilience is not a solitary endeavour—it is the collective effort of a people standing together, supporting one another and working in harmony toward a brighter, more prosperous future. The challenges we face today may not be the same as those faced by the Spiritual Baptists, but their example of resilience remains relevant, perhaps more now than ever before. As we observe Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day this year, let us honour the Spiritual Baptist faith by embracing and embodying their example of resilience. Let us commit to standing together and surmounting every obstacle in our path as we work towards building a country of which we can all be proud and glad.I 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.#spiritualbaptistliberation2025 #resilience #celebration #officeofthepresident2025 ... See MoreSee Less

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Message from Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day 2025Fellow citizens, Resilience is the ability to adapt successfully in the face of adversity. It is more¬—much more—than just the ability to endure. A resilient people know that they will rise above every challenge that life presents. They know that they have the wherewithal to remain steadfast and to persist, even when the road ahead seems impossible. A resilient people never lose sight of their goals and remain committed to achieving a brighter, more hopeful future.This spirit of resilience is exactly what the Spiritual Baptist faithful embodied, when on November 16, 1917, the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917 came into being, denying them the freedom to worship, congregate and practise their beliefs. This oppressive law, along with the public persecution they faced, was designed to undermine the legitimacy of their faith and reinforce the colonial disdain for African customs and traditions. Fortunately for all of us, Spiritual Baptists did not yield to colonial pressure. They were resilient. They held fast to their faith, meeting secretly and enduring all manner of harassment and humiliation. After years of struggle and agitation, their efforts bore fruit in 1951 – as resilience often does - when the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance was finally repealed. That victory was not the end of their fight; rather, it only fuelled their continued pursuit of religious freedom, and in 1996, Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day was declared. The struggle of the Spiritual Baptist community for recognition, justice, dignity and freedom is, at one and the same time, a source of justifiable national pride as it is of tremendous inspiration. The story of Spiritual Baptists is the story of the true power of resilience, perseverance and commitment to a common cause. As a nation, we would do well to emulate and model their example. As our country faces our own struggles and challenges, the model of the Spiritual Baptists movement is available to us to draw from the wells of our inner strength and to stare down, as they did, the perils and the dangers that confront us. Much like the Spiritual Baptists, our success as a nation hinges on our recognising and accepting that resilience is not a solitary endeavour—it is the collective effort of a people standing together, supporting one another and working in harmony toward a brighter, more prosperous future. The challenges we face today may not be the same as those faced by the Spiritual Baptists, but their example of resilience remains relevant, perhaps more now than ever before. As we observe Spiritual Baptist Liberation Shouter Day this year, let us honour the Spiritual Baptist faith by embracing and embodying their example of resilience. Let us commit to standing together and surmounting every obstacle in our path as we work towards building a country of which we can all be proud and glad.I 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.#SpiritualBaptistLiberationDay #resilience #celebration #officeofthepresidentt ... See MoreSee Less

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Schools attend Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day Exhibition

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