As Barbados counts down to its milestone 60th Independence anniversary, long-serving Barbados Legion member and former Barbados Defence Force veteran Michael Forde led a moving flag-raising assembly at St George’s Ellerton Primary School on Monday, with a clear mission to embed the island’s hard-won national history in the minds of young pupils who never witnessed the 1966 independence transition firsthand. During the gathering, Forde transported the young audience back to the historic midnight of November 30, 1966, walking them through the iconic, little-documented moment at Garrison Savannah: as the clock ticked toward midnight, all surrounding lights were dimmed to plunge the grounds into temporary darkness, where the Union Jack – the flag of centuries of British colonial rule – was lowered quietly, before Barbados’ distinctive Broken Trident national flag was raised for the very first time to mark the birth of a sovereign nation. Forde broke down the layered symbolism of the new national flag, explaining that its ultramarine blue, golden yellow, and bold black Broken Trident emblem each carry core meanings tied to Barbados’ identity as an independent maritime nation, before sharing the little-known origin story of the flag’s design: the winning entry, submitted by Parkinson Memorial School art teacher Grantley Prescott, was selected from a pool of 1,029 submissions in a nationwide public design contest, overseen by then-Premier Errol Walton Barrow, who went on to become the country’s first ever Prime Minister at the moment of independence. For Forde, the visit was far more than a simple history lesson reciting dates and events: his core goal was to help the young students grasp that the freedoms, self-governance, and opportunities they take for granted today were won after decades of collective struggle, and that the nation’s hard-earned status as a “government of the people, for the people, by the people” must never be taken for granted. “Seeing the curiosity and engagement on these children’s faces is priceless,” Forde noted. “This is how we build continuity, so future generations never forget where we came from, and never let the heritage our elders fought to build fade away.” Ellerton Primary School principal Karen Sealy-Cox echoed Forde’s mission, framing the flag-raising ceremony as the official launch of a months-long slate of campus activities leading up to national Independence Day, all designed to nurture unshakable cultural pride among pupils. Beyond learning national history, Sealy-Cox encouraged students to embrace all facets of distinct Barbadian culture, from beloved soca music and local festivals to the island’s famously warm custom of greeting every community member with a “good morning” or “good afternoon” – a small, everyday tradition that makes Barbados’ social fabric one of a kind. She also guided pupils to honor the legacy of iconic Barbadian trailblazers across fields, from legendary cricketer the late Sir Garfield Sobers and current West Indies Women’s Cricket Captain Hayley Matthews to global cultural superstar Rihanna, as examples of what Barbadians can achieve when rooted in their national identity. Sealy-Cox tied these cultural lessons directly to the school’s 2024-2025 academic year theme, “Grow with Purpose, Rooted in Values”, encouraging students to embody core local values of honesty, mutual respect, discipline, community service, and environmental stewardship as they grow. The upcoming highlight of the pre-Independence activities will be the school’s special cultural literacy week, running from November 23 to 27, which will combine reading, writing, and interactive cultural activities to deepen students’ connection to their heritage while reinforcing the critical role of education in building the nation’s next generation of leaders.