Wednesday, February 8, 2012

--- Spice Independence ---

Yesterday was the 7th of February, 2012. It was a day of great significance to Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. It was their 38th anniversary as an independent nation.

Hooooooooooooorrrrraaaaaaaaaary!!!!

Being Grenadian, I was clad in my national colours – red, green and yellow. I was proud to showcase to people who I was. I felt part of a community as I saw fellow nationals on campus dressed with the triad of colours. As human beings we develop our identities based on our interactions with our family, traditions, myths and society on the whole. Wearing my national colours yesterday was a means of expressing my communal identity. According to Stuart Hall this is an identity that is associated with large-scale communities.

February 7th, from since 1974 is a day for Grenadians to express their national identity. In the past, I was never really interested in the Independence celebrations; I saw it as just another day to stay home from school. Being away, in another country has opened my eyes to a new perspective. One that tells me to spread the word to others saying, “Hey this is Grenada’s day!”

I analysed the many posts of my facebook Grenadian friends, home and abroad. I realized that the majority of Grenadians living in other countries had profile pictures of the Grenadian flag. Many others were posting local songs, posting pictures of the fauna and flora and of gatherings making our national dish - Oil down. The internet provided this non-physical environment that allowed us to express our elation and pride. It afforded us the opportunity to celebrate our independence day together, despite our geographical limitations.

In my mind, this was an empowering experience, as we lived out our national and cultural identities online. The internet, Facebook allowed us to share messages that collectively - they became this shared experience. In this one instance, we can see how powerful the media can be. It is ultimately up to us, as users to utilize it in ways that would unify peoples and help build better societies.


Take a listen, just another way the media helps to perpetuate our Grenadian national identity. ENJOY!!!

Artist: Zedel Jeffery

Song: Happy Birthday to Grenada!


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