H.O.C. celebrates black consciousness in new exhibit

As part of Black History month, the Belize City House of Culture has launched a special exhibition dedicated to black consciousness. Featured in the exhibit are musicians such as Bob Marley, Sister Carol, Mutabaruka, and Burning Spear. According to organiser Rita Mae Hyde, through their music, the artists have promoted the importance of self-identity.

Rita Mae Hyde, Organizer, Black History Exhibit
?Central to the philosophy of black consciousness is that we have to come together as a group, group cohesion, group solidarity, because we have to face these challenges as a group, like a united we stand type of thing. It also is understood as an awareness of black pride. It doesn?t have?a lot of people might look at it from the aspect, okay, black consciousness has to do with supremacy, but it?s actually saying, we are black, this is our position, this is our identity, and just celebration of your identity. Looking at it from a different perspective, like we know what the whole perspective of slavery, how that has greatly affected our people. And black consciousness says that we should not live in the past, we should attempt to liberate ourselves from these mental conditions, these subjugation, oppression, we should find a state of mind whereby we can see how as a people we can further ourselves, we could define our own identity and attain success in our own way.?

The exhibit is scheduled to run until the end of the month. Entrance is free of cost.