As Barbados marks two landmark national milestones – six decades of independence and five years as a sovereign republic – organizers of the island’s annual Emancipation Walk and Concert are gearing up to host a historic turnout of attendees, projecting a crowd that could reach 10,000 people this year. Local officials frame the 2024 gathering as a critical turning point for collective national reflection on the island’s journey from enslavement to self-governance.