Prime Minister Stuart Young says he will request a series of monthly discussions on the struggle of Spiritual Shouter Baptists, as well as the establishment of a Art and Cultural Innovation Council.

These came in his official message to commemorate Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day 2025.

Below is the Prime Minister’s full message.

Fellow citizens,

Today we are acknowledging the significance of the Spiritual Baptist Liberation public holiday, standing in prayer with members of its faith.

Tomorrow our Muslim brothers and sisters will be looking to ‘sight’ the moon for the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.

This, I see, as an affirmation of our beautiful diversity, and the greatness of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

We were brought from different parts of the world, with different cultural traditions and histories, to serve, solely, the exploitative commercial interests of the then British empire.

Caribbean researchers, looking back, continue to unearth episodes of the dehumanisation of millions of Africans from 1518 up to the so-called British Caribbean Emancipation in 1838, and then the later depravity that thousands of Indian immigrants were made to endure here from 1845 to 1917.

Given new research, not in Caribbean history, but in neuroscience, social psychology and related areas on trauma we may have to take a further and deeper look at “the long March” of the Spiritual Baptist; what those early devotees really suffered and what psychological research is revealing about the lingering, and generational effects of trauma in such circumstances, generally. This must not be swept under any proverbial carpet and must not be underestimated.

A re-look at the 1917 Prohibition Ordinance, one may argue, tells us that the colonial authorities saw the ex-slaves’ forms of worship as too effusive, too boisterous and “not good enough” to worship their God. It is said that a people without God is a people incomplete.

Research into traumatic experiences is now extending to such areas as the collective mindset of marginalised people. 

To begin awareness and healing, I intend, as a first step, to request, the National Library (NALIS) to organise a series of monthly discussions, across the country, on the struggle and triumph of the Spiritual Baptist community and other significant junctures in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. There is much to be learnt and highlighted from the struggles, the faithful continued worship and the strength of our Spiritual Baptist brothers and sisters and I celebrate and salute them.

We must intensify the popularisation of our history. Our nation-state was founded by one of the most significantnames in Caribbean history, Dr. the Honourable, Eric Eustace Williams; we owe him that reward.

The history of this country should be on the lips of every citizen.  Everyone should be able to recite and understand aspects of our broad, complex and exciting history.

I see this too as one of the functions of the Art and Cultural Innovation Council which I intend to establish to drive Trinidad and Tobago’s creative economy forward.

This council will bring our cultural mosaic – our art, music, dance, and literature into focus, giving citizens and their families a general awareness and understanding of the art forms that live among us and the trends our artists are pursuing.

As we examine our history, we will undoubtedly see that the Spiritual Baptist community has demonstrated an unshakable commitment to national development through the expressions of their faith which reveal the value of service-centred leadership, uniting for the common good and an adherence to discipline. Their spiritual practice enhances our understanding of Trinidad and Tobago’s shared identity and is a resounding reminder of the strength of our diversity.

This Government, recognising the importance of the contributions made by the Spiritual Baptist community, has partnered with faith leaders to establish their cathedral, administrative complex and heritage park. In 2019, State land was made available for the construction of this project and to date the Government has provided grant funding of $20 million towards the realisation of this dream.

On behalf of the Government, my family and the people of Trinidad and Tobago I express my joyous acknowledgement of the enduring strength of the Spiritual Baptist community. I celebrate you and look forward to your continued contributions to Trinidad and Tobago and in particular to our New Chapter.

Today is a day of celebration and I know that citizens will stand side by side, with members of the Spiritual Baptist faith, as they converge, in prayer and jubilation across the country.