National Parks Authority Commemorates the 8th of March Project: Say Their Names

Antigua and Barbuda, March 4^th, 2024 – The National Parks Authority proudly announces the launch of the fifth edition of the 8th of March Project themed “Say Their Names.” This initiative commemorates the tragic event of March 8, 1744, when an explosion in English Harbour claimed the lives of eight enslaved African men: Billy, London, James Soe, Caramatee Quamono, Dick, Joe, Scipio, and Johnno.

The 8th of March Project, named in remembrance of this historic event, is a collaborative endeavor spearheaded by the Heritage Department at the National Parks Authority. It aims to honor the enslaved and free Africans who toiled in the Dockyard and resided in English Harbour, celebrating the enduring cultural legacy of the English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour communities.

This year’s celebration will feature a range of activities, including:

• 8^th of March Themed Rum in the Ruins
• New Museum Exhibits
• Oral History Workshop

About the 8th of March Project

The 8th of March Project is dedicated to uncovering the daily lives of enslaved and free Africans in the 18th and 19th centuries who inhabited and worked in the Dockyard and its environs. Through rigorous archival and archaeological research, the project seeks to illuminate the interconnected cultural fabric that binds present-day St. Paul’s Parish and Antigua to its historical roots. Key objectives include:

• Research: recover the names and identities of as many enslaved and free Africans as we can in the Middle Ground and surrounding areas and their daily lives through archival and archaeological research.
• Education: expand capacity at the National Park and within the Community to creatively engage with digital humanities, the Park, and the past through community-based research, oral histories, and an accessible genealogical database.
• Interpretation: develop and publish the research to better inform the different communities and stakeholders of the National Parks through interpretation signage, a permanent museum gallery, digital and social media outreach, school fieldtrips, and updated and varied tours.

The National Parks Authority invites the community to join in commemorating and preserving the legacy of those who contributed to the rich tapestry of Antiguan history. Together, let us honor and remember those whose names echo through the annals of time.

ABOUT The National Parks Authority

The National Parks Authority (NPA) is a Statutory Corporation constituted under the National Parks Act Cap. 290 (1984) of the Laws of Antigua and Barbuda.  The Act mandates that the NPA is self-financing and operates as a not-for-profit organization in order to preserve, protect, manage and develop the natural environment, heritage, architecture, and culture of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.  Since 2016, the historical core, the Georgian era Royal Navy Dockyard and surrounding British military sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of the long and successful stewardship and management of the NPA.