Cultural icon Leroy « Wadix » Charles has called on students in Dominica to take up the Creole language as their own, urging them to speak it, learn it and carry it forward with pride.
His message was directed at young people who are preparing to take part in an upcoming Creole Spelling Bee. For Charles, the competition is more than a test of spelling. It is an opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge of kweyol and to keep using it in everyday life rather than treating it as something confined to the past.
Charles, widely recognised across the island for his contribution to Dominican culture, framed the call as one of expanding knowledge. Learning the language, he suggested, strengthens a sense of identity and connects young Dominicans to the heritage their parents and grandparents passed down to them.
His remarks also looked beyond the island itself. The reported comments referred to the reach of Creole culture in Dominica and beyond, a reminder of the Dominican diaspora and the many communities abroad where the language and traditions continue to be cherished.
The report on which these details are based was published on the homepage carousel of Dominica News Online. The excerpt available for this story does not state the date, venue, organisers or any winners of the Creole Spelling Bee, and those details will be added when they are confirmed.
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