US Embassy in Barbados to stay closed on Monday

Barbados: The US Embassy in Barbados, including the Consular Section and US Embassy Grenada, will remain closed on Monday, January 20, 2025, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day which is an official holiday in the United States.  

While the US Embassy in Grenada will reopen on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, but the US Embassy in Barbados (including the Consular Section) will remain closed on Tuesday in observance of Errol Barrow Day, a public holiday in Barbados. These offices are set to reopen on Wednesday.  

Because of the high significance of both these days, the Embassies have decided to remain close and honour Martin Luther King Jr and Errol Barrow.  

Martin Luther King Day 

The Martin Luther King Day is observed across United States on every third Monday of January to honour the achievements of Martin Luther King Jr. Reportedly, he was a Baptist minister who advocated the use of non-violent means to end racial segregation. 

The King came to national prominence initially during a bus boycott by African Americans in Alabama in 1955. In 1957, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led the March on Washington in 1963.  

He was also instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 which forbid discrimination in facilities, public accommodations and employment and also participated in getting the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King Jr was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964 but was assassinate just four years later on April 4, 1968.  

Errol Barrow Day 

The Errol Barrow Day in Barbados is being celebrated every year on January 21 since 1989. This holiday honours Errol Barrow’s birthday who served as the first Prime Minister of the island nation.  

Notably, Barrow was born on January 21, 1920 into a family of political and civic activists and he served as the Premier of Barbados from 1961 to 1966. In 1966, Barbados declared its independence from Great Britain which the country gained largely due to the efforts of Barrow following which he became the nation’s first Prime Minister.