Government of Bermuda Overseas Representative Office Observes Cup Match in Washington, D.C. Overseas Representative Office commemorates emancipation with speech on its origins to a diverse group of guests Washington, D.C., July 23, 2014 – The Government of Bermuda’s Overseas Representative Office in Washington, D.C., commemorated the start of the Cup Match season at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2014. The Washington office hosted a lecture on the origins of Cup Match which trace back to emancipation presented by Ms. Kristin White, Business Development Director of the St. George’s Foundation. The focus of the lecture was to inform and educate the attendees about the somber history behind Cup Match. Overseas Representative Cheryl Packwood delivered welcoming remarks and introduced Ms. White. She began: “Cup Match is routed in history which travels back almost two centuries to slavery. The traditions we see today are bathed in the triumphs and the tribulations of our ancestors. I love my history.” Ms. White read St. George, her love letter to the Towne of St. George, before delivering her speech on the history and traditions which have made Cup Match. As the Business Director of the St. George’s Foundation, Ms. White regaled the audience with stories of the famous St. George’s inhabitants such as Joseph Rainey and Pilot Darrell. She talked about Fleeper, the slave mistress of Briger Goodrich who had promised her freedom on a crumpled piece of paper. But, most importantly, Ms. White described a holiday created by the sheer will of a people who celebrated emancipation every year from 1 August 1984 until present. Ms. White presented to a standing room only crowd of approximately 60 people which included notably the Ambassadors of Bahamas and Barbados. Commenting on the event, Ms. White said, “This was a great opportunity for the St. George’s Foundation to educate and inform U.S. and international leaders in Washington, D.C. on the significance of our heritage, and to share some stories about our beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site, the Towne of St. George, and Bermuda as a whole. “ Ms. Packwood added: “This lecture is the beginning of a series of cultural events which we would like to host over the coming years as a matter of course. We were able to bring together people from all corners of the United States and the world to celebrate our heritage, and in doing so, we continued our outreach efforts. These types of events are regularly hosted by other jurisdictions, countries and organizations, and help to familiarize the international community. I know that these efforts really do make a difference in our relationships and the ability to find common understanding and establish respect.”
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:32:36 +0000
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