Paolo Kernahan criticizes UTT’s African Emancipation Day programme.

Political commentator Paolo Kernahan has joined a growing list of public figures condemning the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT) decision to include an East Indian cultural presentation during an African Emancipation Day event, arguing that the move undermined the purpose of the national observance. In a widely shared social media post, Kernahan described the decision as “wildly inappropriate,” saying it reflected “the massive difference between education and intelligence” and questioned how a university could fail to recognise the significance of keeping an African Emancipation Day programme centred on African history and culture.

The controversy has since sparked a nationwide debate over whether commemorations marking the abolition of slavery should remain exclusively focused on African emancipation or reflect Trinidad and Tobago’s multicultural identity. Critics, including MP Kareem Marcelle and several cultural advocates, have argued that African Emancipation Day should not be diluted by the inclusion of unrelated cultural presentations, while others have defended UTT’s approach as an expression of national diversity.