For Emancipation 2025 ACDA honours the village of Buxton, on the East Coast of Demerara, primarily inhabited by people of African descent. It was
founded in 1840 by 128 formerly enslaved Africans who pooled their resources to purchase the plantation “New Orange Nassau”. They named the village
Buxton in honour of abolitionist Thomas Fowell Buxton and where many prominent Guyanese have called home including Bro. Eusi Kwayana who has officially become a centenarian this year.
Buxton was the second village established by Africans in British Guiana; the village was later joined with its sister village, Friendship, forming Buxton-Friendship. Buxton is known for its rich history, including its role in the Village Movement where freed slaves established independent communities. Buxton played a key role in the Village Movement, where formerly enslaved people purchased land and built their own communities. It also became a center for agricultural production and self-governance.
