AYV News, September 30, 2025
Blyden welcomed with flowers on arrival at Trinidad & Tobago
Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, a Sierra Leonean Socio-political Communicator, has received a soothing grand welcome at the Airport in Trinidad by Blacks in the Diaspora led by the leader of the Black Agenda Project and the Nation of Islam in Trinidad, Dr. David Muhammad and his team.
As if this was not enough, another warm welcome with sweet flowers and smiles shocked Dr. Blyden at the Radisson Blu Hotel, where she is staying. Her trip to Trinidad is part of her annual birthday vacation, aiming to connect with her black ancestral lineage from the days of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. Blyden is a descendant of former slaves.
It is expected that her ongoing trip to Trinidad & Tobago where she celebrates her 54th birthday tomorrow October 1st 2025, will be just as successful as the birthday she had spent two years ago on the Carribean Virgin Islands of the United States.
It can be recalled that two years ago in 2023 as part of her birthday celebration events, Dr. Blyden participated in the Fire-Burn Celebrations on St. Croix Island and the Dollar for Dollar commemoration in St. Thomas Island. Before departing, she also visited St. John Island ensuring she visited all three Islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Carribean.
It can be recalled that Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, during her birthday vacation to the United States Virgin Islands years back, invited potential investors and development partners from the Islands to visit Sierra Leone.
Speaking in the United States Senate on the Virgin Islands, where she was fully recognised as the great great granddaughter of Dr. Edward Wilmot Blyden, Dr. Blyden expressed her deep emotional connection to the Islands, where her ancestor was born and from there became the most famous Black Pan-Africanist of his time and on to this day.
The U.S. Senate highlighted her multifaceted career, from medicine to journalism, and her commitment to breaking down barriers for women in Sierra Leone. They also emphasised the importance of following her great great grandfather’s footsteps, stating.
During her address on the floor of the Senate, the eminent Sierra Leone woman said: “It is a tremendous legacy to walk in my great great grandfather’s shoes, and I have done my best my entire life to follow his footprints”.
Dr. Blyden’s visit to the Virgin Islands, where she celebrated her birthday on October 1st 2023, has been filled with meaningful experiences.
In a gesture of goodwill, Dr. Blyden extended an invitation from Sierra Leone to the people of the Virgin Islands, informing them that Sierra Leone offers free citizenship to descendants of freed slaves who want to return home. She also welcomed them to visit her great great grandfather’s grave and monuments, further strengthening the ties between the two nations.
The recognition in the Virgin Islands Senate was a testament to Dr. Blyden’s remarkable achievements and her dedication to her heritage. As she continues to make strides in her career, her connection to her roots remains a powerful source of inspiration.
This newspaper will now cover her ongoing Trip to Trinidad and Tobago as well.
