Belize Emancipation Day: Our Story A Virtual Exhibit is Unveiled

“It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history. The storyteller creates the memory that the survivors must have — otherwise their surviving would have no meaning.” ― Chinua Achebe

Belize City, Belize, Thursday, 30 July 2021—The Belizean perspective on the full Emancipation of African slaves in the former British colony 183 years ago—in 1838—is being featured for the first time through an immersive and interactive story map, titled “Belize Emancipation Day – Our Story.” This rich and engaging virtual exhibit captures both the tragedies and triumphs experienced by a resilient people upon whose blood, sweat and tears this nation was built.

The Institute of Social & Cultural Research, through the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), and the Belize Archives and Records Service, in partnership with Total Business Solutions Limited (TBSL), unveiled the new Emancipation Day story map today, 29th July 2021, at the opening of an exhibit and virtual presentation titled, The Documentary Heritage of Slavery and Emancipation in Belize.

“Belize Emancipation Day – Our Story” revisits the arduous journey from slavery in the late 18th century to emancipation in the early 19th century. It integrates official records held on the African presence during the era of slavery, from shipping through other British territories such as Jamaica and Bermuda, to the pricing and sale of persons into chattel slavery. The story map also captures the resistance of Africans who did not lose their wherewithal to fight—either passively or actively, through open revolts. It furthermore addresses the inhumane divisions of race and class that were the norm in the then colonial slave societies, and which have bred social inequities still evident in Belize today. Census records demonstrated these divisions based on color and status through categorization of persons as white, colored, black, or slave. This reflected the social classes prevalent in colonial slave societies.

Using the ArcGIS StoryMaps solution developed by Esri, the world’s leading mapping and GIS company, the storytellers were able to author a web-based application, rich with authentic archival images, video and interactive content, providing historical facts about what life was like for African slaves in Belize before Emancipation. Nigel Encalada - Director, Institute of Social & Cultural Research, NICH, introduces the story map and narrates important sections of the story. View “Belize Emancipation Day - Our Story” here

TBSL continues to demonstrate social corporate responsibility through initiatives like these, using ArcGIS technologies to enlighten and empower, by sharing critical knowledge intended to strengthen the resolve and resilience of Belizeans from all walks of life.

Story maps are for everyone and its open source (free)! Anyone who is up to a challenge can start to gather their content or brainstorm ideas, to compete in The Esri Story Maps Challenge: Restoring Our Ocean, which opens on 16 August 2021.

To create your own story map, visit http://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/. For more information, contact us at info@tbsl.bz, or call us at 223-6807 or via WhatsApp at 605-4633.

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