In Barbados, a stirring transformation is taking place, guided by the ROAD (Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny) Project.

The Barbados Heritage District, planned to open in 2025, is a sacred endeavor born from the profound desire to honor the past and shed light on the unyielding impact of slavery on our island, our Caribbean neighbours, and beyond. It is a profound testament to the resilience and spirit of a nation that has endured through some of history's darkest chapters.

Within the Barbados Heritage District, a trinity will await - a memorial, a global research institute, and a museum - that will stand as bastions of knowledge and remembrance. It will be located at the Newton Slave Burial Ground, the largest and earliest slave burial site discovered in Barbados.

Fueled by the brilliance of British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye, the memorial will rise like a phoenix from these hallowed grounds, where the echoes of the past still whisper haunting tales. 570 timber poles will honour the 570 enslaved West Africans buried here in unmarked graves.

Announcing the project Prime Minister Mottley stated "Outside of the United Kingdom, Barbados has the largest Transatlantic Slave records and to that extent we believe that we have first a moral duty to protect them and a duty to share with our people those records and to ensure that Barbadians understand all aspects of what happened to us when we came to this land, …every aspect of our life that can be gleaned from those records."

It is a journey of rediscovery and redemption, a pilgrimage through the shadows and into the light, as Barbados unveils its painful past with unwavering courage. The Barbados Heritage District is a symphony of emotion, a dance of sorrow and triumph, a song of unity and empowerment, resonating through the annals of history.

Visitors from across the world are invited to visit, bearing witness to this living testament of the human experience where a poignant chapter will be etched. forever.