Associate Professor of Africana Studies Nigel Westmaas was recently the invited keynote speaker at a symposium organized by the University of Guyana to mark the 200th anniversary of the Demerara enslaved revolt of 1823 in Guyana.
This historic event of 1823 saw between 9,000 to 12,000 enslaved rise up against the prevailing plantation system which predominantly revolved around sugar production. Westmaas was also quoted in an article in the UK Guardian Observer newspaper that delved into the significance of this pivotal rebellion and the reactions of descendants of plantation owners who had reaped the benefits of profits generated by plantation chattel slavery.
