History of Afro- Antiguan and Barbudan of Antigua.
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Afro- Antiguan and Barbudan are a group of African descendants they can be found in Antiguan and Barbuda which is located in the Carribean, they were captured by the Europeans especially the British from different parts of West Africa to Antigua and Barbuda, they came from ethnic groups such as Akan including the Ashanti, Nzema, Fanti, Brong, Akuapem, Wassa, Assin and other Akan subgroups, then Wolof, Ga Adangbe, Yoruba, Kanuri, Hausa, Fulani, Mandinka, Ewe, Fon, Mina, Temne, Igbo, Gwari and other ethnic groups in the West coast of Africa.
Africans were brought to Antigua they raised tobacco, sugar cane , ginger it is said Christopher John Codrington established the first large sugar estate in 1647, and to raise provisions for his sugar cane plantations later he established a sugar industry which it is said it became profitable many farmers replaced other crops with sugar and made it an economical backbone , Christopher was a British Soldier and a Slave owner who brought enslaved Africans to Antigua to make them slaves and work on his plantations both Sugar cane plantations, Africans arrived in Antigua during the 1670s.
They later rebelled and fought the British Slave masters which led to emancipation in 1834 , in 1647 Antingua and Barbuda first had a sugar cane plantations which was established with the arrival of Christopher John Codrington others claimed after the emancipation took place some of the Africans worked for paltry wage due to scant alternatives on the Sugar cane plantations.
From Slavery to Emancipation in 1946 the first Black man in Antigua and Barbuda called Honourable Vere Cornwall Bird he was known throughout his life as V. C. Bird he was elected as the Chief Minister in Antigua and Barbuda, in 1967 the Afro- Antinguan invested more money into the educational systems in 1st November, 1981 it was on the behalf of Afro Antiguan which the Country became independent in the common wealth of nation giving it the total control of the Island affairs.
Antiguan and Barbuda has a very strong African influence like Cuba, Jamaica, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trindad , Haiti they still pratice the African cultures and traditions most of the older men and women speak in proverbs in the Creole language, Rastafari movement played a big role in Antigua most blacks and mulattos were part of the movement in the 1900s they believed strongly that Africa is the promise land of Africans and its descendants.
They pratice Obeah which is combined with the Haitian Vodu, Santeria and Akan Akom but majority of them pratice Catholicism even though the Africans kept their own spirituality before Catholicism was introduced to them in Antigua and Barbuda their music is combined with the African and Antiguan folk songs and they celebrate Carnivals , Old time Christmas festivals, they used instruments such as drums including Conga and guitar to create music.
African Stories are told such as ljapa the Yoruba tortoise, Kweku Anasi the Spider but among them it is called Nancy, they also weave make seed jeweleries which is crafted and inherited by their Ancestors the local crafts people make a variety of other useful items using seeds and Oware in their traditions called Warri or awale is used for Consultation with the Ancestors and it is used as a game for fun.