  This year, the
celebrations are dedicated to the father of the
Costa Rican calypso, Walter Ferguson, and to the
teacher and social leader
Marcelle Taylor Brown. - Ministry of Culture courtesy photo. |
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 Published Friday, August 7, 2020 African
descent month
celebrated virtually By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Due to the pandemic, this year the celebration of the month of the African descent will be celebrated with virtual cultural activities, announced the Ministry of Culture on Thursday. In Costa Rica, the Afro-descendant word refers to people born outside of Africa who have ancestors from that continent. This is the second year in a row that Afro-descendant month is celebrated in Costa Rica. Cultural activities include documentaries, town halls, forums, photographic exhibitions, concerts and preparation of traditional recipes, which will broadcast through Facebook, YouTube, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, among other digital platforms. Vice President Epsy Campbell, said that this is a month to “highlight the extraordinary contributions that people of African descent make daily to build a democratic, fair, inclusive, prosperous and democratic country diverse." This year, the celebrations are dedicated to the father of the Costa Rican calypso, Walter Ferguson, and to the teacher and social leader Marcelle Taylor Brown.  Ferguson, known as "Gavitt" lived all his childhood in Cahuita, Limón, where he learned to play the pipe organ, guitar and the ukulele. His music has transcended borders and has been an inspiration for many national artists. In 2018, Ferguson was awarded the Emilia Prieto National Cultural Heritage Award for his lifetime career. That year Congress passed a law to declare him a distinguished citizen and to celebrate the National Day of the Costa Rican Calypso every May 7.  The second person honored, Marcelle Taylor Brown, has dedicated 33 years of teaching English in schools in the province of Limón. She was the first black woman to be elected as a congresswoman in 1986. "As a deputy, she had an important participation in making laws on issues of education, sports and women's rights," the ministry said in its statement. Taylor leads the Black Ethnic Cultural Civic Committee, which has organized the Grand Parade and the celebrations in Limón Province for the Black Peoples Day and Afro-Costa Rican Culture for more than two decades. "Mr. Walter Ferguson and Mrs. Marcelle Taylor are proud of the Afro-descendant culture and this year we have decided to dedicate the celebration to them, as a symbolic recognition of their immense work and their extraordinary contributions to the country," Campbell said. The government recently declared Costa Rica against racism and racial discrimination. Their campaign to fight racism includes targeting the education system. The Ministry of Education developed a didactic guideline to fight racism and educate against discrimination in schools, colleges, academies, and universities across the country. The virtual activities for Afro- descendant month can be found on the agenda on the Casa Presidencial website. ---------------------------------- In addition to celebrating Black culture in Costa Rica, what other ethnic groups should be recognized? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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