The country celebrated 50 years of independence in February, and current residents as well as admirers of Grenada from around the world showed up to Spice Island with the utmost pride, acknowledging lessons of the past while simultaneously looking ahead to the future.

Dickon Mitchell, Grenada’s prime minister, not only took a moment to honor the last 50 years but also pledged what to expect in the years to come — particularly through an initiative called Vision 75, which was shared with citizens and guests during an official kickoff address.

“Vision 75 is not a dream. Vision 75 is a plan. A plan that requires the support of every citizen, both home and in the diaspora,” the voice in a presentation shared by Mitchell stated. “Vision 75 is a process. One that may not be simple, but just as we navigated the last 50 years, we must create a Grenada at 75 that we can be proud of. That our children can inherit. A vision of the next journey that all people should take to create our future.”

This sentiment rings true for those native to Grenada as well as current residents. Top content creator Anika Alexander, affectionately known as The Nutmeg Princess, recalled the emotions she felt while celebrating 50 years of independence in her home country alongside her daughter. 

“Being Grenadian has taught me that there’s still good people in the world. Most Grenadians, for the most part, are very helpful, and very committed to the community — very committed to being there and watching out for one another,” Alexander said.

“I really am so proud of my Grenadian heritage and Grenadian culture as a whole,” she continued. “Being able to experience 50 years and celebrate that with my daughter has given me a lot more pride than I expected to have. I actually cried on Independence Day, watching her in her national colors. I get to watch her grow up very Grenadian and I’m raising her, essentially, the way I was raised, with traditional dishes, learning about all of the traditional stories that we have here and all of those stories that we grew up on as kids. I’m instilling in her a need to seek and appreciate community as I have done and just trying to teach her to be a proud Grenadian.”

No matter where life takes them, Grenadians keep a piece of home embedded in their heart. Kered Clement, a first-generation Grenadian whose grandparents and parents migrated from Grenada to the United Kingdom, ultimately returned to her roots to reconnect with her cultural identity.

“I’ve dedicated my life’s work to telling Grenadian stories, and let me tell you, every time I think I’ve covered it, there is so much depth,” Clement, who is a journalist by trade, said. “It’s our traditions, our revolutionary history and spirit, our resilience, infectious charisma and charm, and most of all, our unapologetic authenticity.”

Moving forward, both Clement and Alexander have a similar hope for the future.

“I really hope that I am alive to see the next 50 years because it has been ridiculously impressive to see how far we’ve come as a people,” Alexander said. “Especially, like, my mom’s generation. Embracing technology, and embracing growth and change so well in the past couple of years. We still have a long way to go. I feel like the previous generations have set a precedence, and it’s only up from here.”

Clement added, “The previous generation of mobilizers put Grenada on the map historically, but it’s the next generation of digital innovators whose narratives and creativity will help eradicate the notion that Grenada is just a tiny island. With the right leadership, infrastructure and investment in our creative economy, I firmly believe that big ideas and innovation will become a part of the fabric of our society, and this is what’s in our destiny.”

As the Grenadian motto goes, Spice Island continues to “aspire, build and advance as one people.”