National Heroes Monument barbados

On November 28^th 2023, the Monument to the Barbadian Family was unveiled in Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) in the heart of our capital city Bridgetown.

This brief drone video gives us a unique view of this historical event as organizers prepare for the unveiling.

Hugh Holder, one of the architectural designers of the monument, explains the deeper meaning of the design: “The monument to the Barbadian family takes us through a 400-year journey. That journey begins with our ancestral families who fought for 200 years to break the chains and shackles of our oppressive past, represented on the two ends of the monument”.

From our aerial vantage point we can clearly see the theme of pulling apart the shackles and chains of slavery and oppression.

At each end of the monument are the shackles, broken apart by the resilience, determination and strength of our ancestral Barbadian families. A broken chain link pattern is also paved on the ground. The central statue between the shackles represents the modern Barbadian family, an abstract collection of individuals emerging as one unit.

Also clearly visible are the 11 “Hero Steles”, one for each of Barbados’ national heroes. These vertical slabs contain fascinating information about our heroes and the contribution they made to the island.

As the briefly ascend, we can spot the crowd assembling for the unveiling ceremony.