In a few days time, it will be the first anniversary of the Campus Trendz tragedy. And if we, as a people, fail to commemorate this in a meaningful way, it will suggest not only that we have disrespected the six blameless victims, but that we have also failed ourselves by not using the tragedy as a national wake-up call to bestir ourselves and to deal with the critical interlinked issues of social decay and violent crime.
It is for these reasons that the entire nation should welcome the news that a group of visionary and public-spirited citizens – inclusive of several members of the families of the six victims – have established an organization known as the September 3rd Foundation, and have planned a series of activities to commemorate the first anniversary of the tragedy that consumed the lives of Pearl Cornelius, Kelly Ann Welch, Tiffany Harding, Nikkita Belgrave, Kellishaw Ollivierre and Shanna Griffith.
The first of the commemorative activities will take place at 5 p.m. tomorrow, consisting of a public march from the location of the former Campus Trendz store on Tudor Street to Queen’s Park Steel Shed, where a special event will be staged at 6 p.m.
The fact that this march is following so closely on the heels of a similar one, precipitated by the recent Chadderton/Stock murders, brings home to us the enormity of the social problem that we are facing in Barbados.
Tomorrow’s march therefore presents a unique opportunity for Barbadians of all social classes, religions and races to come together and demonstrate that we are determined to save Barbados by transcending the things that divide us, and to commit ourselves to developing a new Barbados of brotherhood, moral values, justice and a shared community life.
The public march to Queen’s Park will be followed by a commemorative event under the theme Revelation – A Tribute To The Preciousness And Beauty Of Our Barbadian Women. Such outstanding performers as John King, Richard Stoute, the St Leonard’s School Choir, Torisha Holder, Olivia Hall, Hosziah Hinds, Adrian Green, Crystal Jordan and Aziza Clarke will memorialize and pay tribute to six beautiful young women who, collectively, represented all that is vital and precious in Barbadian womanhood.
And such “thinkers” as Nalita Gajadhar, Marilyn Rice-Bowen, Miles Muhammad and David Comissiong will discuss the deeper causes of the September 3 tragedy.
The series of commemorative activities will conclude on Sunday with a 11 a.m. service at the St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral.
The People’s Empowerment Party would like to urge all Barbadians to fully support thesecommemorative events. We are of the view that our country needs a strong, people-based, “all-hands-on-deck” approach to dealing with the issue of violent crime, and the situation of moral, social and cultural decay that underlies it.
Let us therefore use the Campus Trendz tragedy as a fundamental wake-up call and ensure that something meaningful and positive comes out of the tragic and undeserved suffering and deaths of Shanna Griffith, Kellishaw Ollivierre, Nikkita Belgrave, Tiffany Harding, Kelly Ann Welch and Pearl Cornelius.
• The PEP column represents the views of the People’s Empowerment Party.
Email pepbarbados@gmx.com.