NICH Honors George Price with Exhibition
The National Institute of Culture and History is planning two main activities at the House of Culture, formerly the Government House, in connection with the birthday of Belize’s first Prime Minister and National Hero, the late George Price. Marion Ali has a report on what the institute is doing to commemorate the day.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The exhibition titled, “George Price – The Man versus the Politician” reveals the personal side of the man, the politician who lead Belize to independence back in 1981. Senior Program Officer at NICH, Kim Vasquez says that perhaps everyone living today in Belize has heard his name, but not everyone knows who George Price was. And encompassed with that are images of this icon that have never been made public before.
Kim Vasquez
Kim Vasquez, Senior Program Officer, NICH
“There are some sides to him that were not readily visible, and some of them include even the lighter side of who he was as a person – things that we can better appreciate now, for example, he loved music, he loved to read, he liked to write poetry. He would do things that definitely you won’t see being done today. He would wade in creeks and water up to his waist to get to rural areas to get that message of independence out to the people.”
Accompanying the exhibition is a new video as part of a documentary series entitled “Appointment with History – Lessons from the Father of the Nation” that NICH embarked on last year.
Kim Vasquez
“Every episode highlights a lesson that we can take from his life. And what you were asking me about him surviving the 1931 hurricane – it would underscore that lesson of perseverance we call that. That’s one of the episodes we want to develop because there were several instances. He was arrested and charged for sedition which carried a severe penalty – the maximum I think was twenty years in prison. He had to face that. There were several low points. There were rifts he faced within the party but he never wavered.”
Vasquez says these educational efforts are made to preserve the legacy of who Belize’s National Hero was.
Kim Vasquez
“It’s important for children, youths and indeed, the wider population to understand who he was – the man, his character, his principles, his vision is really what shaped the leader, the Father of the Nation. So you cannot separate one from the other.”
The exhibition opens on Saturday at the House of Culture in Belize City and will be open to the public. Vasquez says that similar activities are being held in other districts on the late George Price. Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.
Vasquez extends gratitude to the Craig and Price families who helped with the information and many of the images that will be shared at the exhibition. The pictures shared in this story were also provided by the family.
