The Tribune

By Alicia Wallace

 WHAT you gonna do with your freedom? This is the question posed by Freedom Morning Come, a play by Entou Pearl Springer, performed in front of the Treasury Building in Port of Spain on the morning of August 1—Emancipation Day in Trinidad.

In the early hours of Emancipation morning, scores of people gathered to see the play. Freedom Morning Come is a play that depicts the day that enslaved people received the news that they were to be freed. The characters bore the names of enslaved people and told stories of capture, unsafe voyage, suicide, enslavement, violence, grief, and longing for both home and family. They began to look forward, imagining what life as free people would look and feel like. “What you gonna do with your freedom?” they asked one another, and the responses varied. At the end of the play, the question was posed to us, the audience, supposedly free.

This week, I shared this question with several people, inviting them to share their answers with me and with you. I found that people think of freedom in many different ways. Some focus on the freedom of today and making the most of it, some see that the freedom we currently have is still limited, some are acutely aware of the absence of freedom for others, and some think deeply about the duty they have to use their freedom for the benefit of other people.

Freedom realised

It is easy to take our freedom, however we view it, for granted. In asking people what they are going to do with their freedom, I have been exposed to the ways that some people are living in their freedom now and reveling in the ability to make decisions for themselves.

Here is what Myra M McPhee shared:

“What I have done with my freedom is such a profound question because of the nuanced nature of the definition of the word.

“Today, I am the freest I’ve ever been. I have a home, I am healthy, and I am loved by family and friends. I have the kind of freedom that allows me to travel whenever and wherever, I can schedule my annual doctor appointments a year in advance and schedule same-day virtual appointments, and I play Bahamian Citizenship Test games on Twitter with other Bahamians during business hours. I advocate for myself at work. I scream on behalf of others against systemic discriminatory laws. I create art. I am free free.

“My grandmother didn’t have the opportunity to go past the 6th grade and raised 12 children on John Street. My mother, a very smart woman with numbers and long-term planning, wasn’t able to go to college after her 12th grade year at Aquinas. Then there is me. I’ve earned 1 bachelor’s degree, 2 master’s degrees, and other academic accolades. My dreams and goals have not been limited. They have been fueled by my freedom and the sacrifices of the women in my family. I am free because my elders did way too much with way too little.

“I have the freedom of choice, comfort, and convenience. So with my freedom I choose to visit Nassau multiple times a year, I choose to be an artist and an administrator, I choose not to be stressed or hopeless. I am the kind of free that is committed to not missing birthdays, Mother’s days, or other special occasions. I am free to be present at the important moments.

“My grandmother and mother did the impossible with their limited freedom. With my boundless freedom, I choose to live a life the way I want. My existence is political, and yet I still thrive, because I cling to my freedom. It is a precious gift that I cherish every day.”

Freedom awareness

Do you have awareness, every single day, of your freedom? Some people are working to remember, to know, to act on their freedom on a daily basis, while trying to remind others of their own freedom.

“I have been using my freedom by trying to remember everyday that I actually have it. Some days, I feel like I am responsible to alert others to their own freedom and ensuring them access, but then most days that feels ridiculously self-important. I think I just have to make sure that I keep using mine. That I wring it out so that anyone watching can use it as an example if they desire,” said Niambi Hall Campbell Dean, PhD.

Can freedom and inequality coexist?

For some, it is difficult to contend with the idea of freedom while experiencing and witnessing various forms of inequality.

EW said: “I’ve been wrestling with the question of freedom a lot recently, especially regarding gender inequality. As a young Bahamian, it has often felt difficult— almost contradictory— to respect and appreciate the sacrifices our ancestors made for us to get to where we are today, while acknowledging and understanding that we still have a ways to go. Emancipation Day, among other holidays such as Independence Day, is a reminder that we did not always enjoy the liberties, rights, and freedoms that we at times take for granted today. It’s also a reminder of the power of people to join together, despite our differences, and achieve a common goal— one that realises better outcomes and conditions for those facing discrimination and oppression.”

“These observances should inspire us to fight complacency and discouragement and encourage us to channel our predecessors’ determination to make the changes we would like to see for ourselves and those who will come after us,” she continued. “On this Emancipation Day, I will take the time to reflect on the importance of collective action and justice and express my gratitude for those who made sacrifices for our freedom.”

Are we free while others are not?

By now, we are all aware of the settler colonialism, extractivism, and genocide that are constraining and erasing the freedom of people, and people themselves, all over the world. Anyone who is awake to these ongoing horrors and the failure of the international community to take action to stop them must think of those horrors when conversations about freedom arise.

“Free Congo. Free Haiti. Free Sudan. Free Palestine,” Orchid Burnside said.

Freedom as a tool to help others

Even for those who acknowledge that there is still a long way to go in experiencing and inhabiting freedom, there are ways to leverage the freedom we do have to support other people and to build a better world.

Kendria Percentie-Ferguson said: “With my freedom, I’ve chosen to serve. I use my voice and skills to advocate for justice, climate resilience, and equity, especially for communities that are often overlooked. To me, freedom means purpose. It’s choosing work that centers the vulnerable, challenges systems, and uplifts others. I’m still growing, still healing, but I try to use my freedom with intention every day.”

Dr Ancilleno Davis of @SciPerspective said: “I give others freedom. Through Science and Perspective, I teach youth and Bahamian communities how to use science to build their own body of knowledge so that they can in turn make the decisions their communities need. When information, science, education and choices are gatekept, it constricts the freedom of people. When we allow those affected by the choice the opportunity to learn what choices are being made, see and become involved in the processes used to make those decisions, and review the decisions before they are cemented, we strengthen the freedoms and the society we participate in.”

Is there freedom where there is no choice?

There is a freedom from and there is freedom to. One does not necessarily guarantee the other. A function of freedom is the ability to make a choice on one’s own, and true choice comes from the availability of options. There are ways that freedom may not be fully enjoyed due to the constraints of day-to-day responsibilities shouldered by individuals and groups that do not have the support of systems and resources that would enable them to exercise more free will.

When asked what they would do with their freedom, a person who will remain anonymous said, “Nothing, not a single thing. To me freedom is the power to choose from a place of want/desire and not need. As I sit here in an airport dreading my return to navigating adult diapers and incessant emails, only answer I got is nothing. I am going to do nothing with my freedom.”

What you gonna do with your freedom?

What about you? What you gonna do with your freedom? What have you done with it until now? If you would like to contribute to the responses that will be shared next week, send yours to shesubscribestostuff@gmail.com.