For the last several years, during the first week of August, thousands of young revellers flock to the north coast in search of a good time, while the rest of us remain inside our houses, bombarded by arguably ancient documentaries and features that serve to inform us of how far we've come as a nation. The stimulation that these pieces provide for the contemporary teen is next to nil, which leaves most not only disinterested, but ignorant and deprived.

Sure, Independence Day is more or less about that time when Jamaica decided to wean herself off Britain, but what's the whole point of Emancipation Day and what does it mean for us now?

Liberalism, above all, means emancipation - emancipation from one's fears, inadequacies, from prejudice, from discrimination and poverty.

- Hubert H. Humphrey

By now we've learnt that in 1492, Christopher Columbus, while searching for gold to make Europe a little bit richer, led Queen Isabella's ships out to sea with the intention of arriving in Asia. During this time, the educated individuals in civil society still thought the Earth was flat. In any case, Columbus and his men found themselves in the Western hemisphere which was, until then, untouched by Europeans and unmarked on their maps. Our daily lessons continue to tell us that during the centuries that followed there were takeovers, invasions, slave labour, deaths, rebellions and outcries which eventually led to Queen Victoria declaring that as of midnight August 1, 1838, all slaves were to be freed. True, slavery was technically abolished four years prior (1834). However, the imposed system of apprenticeship had some slaves subjected to their masters' will for another four years.

It's now the 172nd anniversary of that historic day and it seems that the initial respect that the date had once been afforded has withered away with each successive year.

Some argue that it has been as a result of our inability to adequately identify with the plight of individuals during that time, while others blame it on the notion that there still exist slavish practices in society today, most of which are more evident in Jamaica's particular brand of classism. The argument goes further by questioning whether it is that we as Jamaicans have embraced the concept of emancipation, so much so that we are willing to perceive life in more than a black vs white context.

Every emancipation has in it the seeds of a new slavery, and every truth easily becomes a lie.

- I. F. Stone

In theory, we are no longer captives, subject to and influenced by the Crown. However, reality suggests that we may just be clinging to shackles that we had hoped were shattered decades ago. We are, one assumes, aware of the issues regarding the purpose of the governor general and the relevance of the Privy Council in a region where the concerns of the people and those of British judges are far removed. I would like to think it hits closer to home for us young men and women when we think of the smaller, seemingly trivial matters. For example, every year, many of us go out of our way to sit foreign-based examinations in order to get a chance to pursue higher education. It is the widespread belief that we do this because we are led to think that our local universities are inadequate. Is that to say that those universities are better because they were created by the white man. And for those of us who intend to move up the socio-economic ladder, must we associate ourselves with all that is 'fair'?

"The Negro will only be truly free when he reaches down to the inner depths of his own being and signs with the pen and ink of assertive self-hood his own emancipation proclamation."

- Martin Luther King, Jr

In lessons, we learn about the French Revolution, the Boston Tea Party and the era of Shakespeare. The dates of these events we can recite with ease and yet if someone should ask us when Port Royal "fell into the sea", our response would involve beating around the bush by alluding to some vague moment in the 17th century.

Think about our language. Under colonial rule, Jamaicans had been indoctrinated into believing that the only accepted form of reading and writing involved the Queen's English. As expressed by the post-colonial literature of our own local authors and poets, it was a period in which they felt their sense of self was being stifled. Slavery is said to be over, but the perception of inferiority that is associated with patois still stands.

If it is that we still suffer from such insecurities on the inside, it should, therefore, come as no surprise that some individuals try to correct the problem externally. Skin-lightening comes as a result of Jamaicans not promoting the richness of their own ancestry and instead, glorifying that of others.

Before we start approaching Emancipation from a collective and historical perspective, I think it's best we meditate on what Marcus Garvey said first; "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind". Let's start there.