On a crisp autumn Sunday in late October 2026, dozens of Antiguan and Barbudan diaspora members based in the New York metropolitan area filled the pews of Harlem’s historic Salem United Methodist Church for a moving, faith-centered Independence Service, marking the first official public event hosted by Antigua and Barbuda’s New York consular office as part of the territory’s 45th national independence anniversary celebrations. The landmark 2026 anniversary operates under the official national theme “Renaissance: Rooted in Pride, Bounded by Prosperity for All,” a framing that wove through every segment of the two-hour commemorative gathering.
While Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Gaston Browne could not attend the Harlem event in person, his official anniversary address was delivered to the congregation by Dr. Walton Webson, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In his remarks, Browne traced the archipelago’s transformative journey since it formally gained sovereign nationhood on November 1, 1981, highlighting decades of targeted government investment that has expanded public infrastructure, affordable housing stock, accessible education systems, and support for the nation’s burgeoning creative economy. He also laid out the administration’s forward-looking policy priorities, committing to advancing a national agenda centered on long-term economic resilience, cross-cutting social inclusion, widespread educational excellence, environmental sustainability, and equitable access to opportunity for every citizen, regardless of where they reside across the global diaspora. Browne closed his address with a call to action for all Antiguans and Barbudans, urging communities near and far to renew their dedication to collective national progress, stay united by shared cultural heritage, draw motivation from past national achievements, and work collaboratively to build an even more robust, prosperous nation for future generations.
The service also featured a rousing, spiritually rooted keynote from Rev. F. Craig Henry, who serves congregations at both Little Rock Baptist Church and Shiloh Baptist Church. Tying his sermon directly to the 45th anniversary’s “Renaissance” theme, Rev. Henry pushed back against narratives that frame national challenges as insurmountable, asking the packed congregation, “Who but us can take what they give us and make paradise where people see problems?” He went on to frame the year’s renaissance framing as a collective call to action: “A Renaissance is a rebirth, it’s a renewal, it’s a revival, it’s a restoration. It is taking what you have, thank God that you have it and saying to God now that it is in my hands, give me the spirit to do what I can with what I have, not hold it for yourself…our Renaissance is rooted in pride.”
The commemorative event also featured performances from the Antigua and Barbuda International Chorale and the City South Steel Orchestra, who led the congregation in rousing renditions of beloved patriotic and nation-building hymns, alongside participation from a multi-church cohort of Antiguan and Barbudan clergy based in the New York region. Organizers from the Antigua and Barbuda Consulate General confirmed that the next flagship event on the anniversary calendar will be the annual Independence Gala, scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at the Glen Island Harbour Club.
Antiguans and Barbudans reflect on inspirational messages at Independence Service in Harlem
