Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

COVID a reminder of the reason for the season! Emancipation had evolved into 'misrepresentation'

While the COVID-19 pandemic has mostly shifted the emancipation festivities to the virtual platform, Minister for Culture Dr Natalio Wheatley has said he believes it will force residents to remember the true reason for the celebrations.

Minister Wheatley made the statement during the virtual opening ceremony of the 66th Emancipation Festival at the weekend.

“This is an emancipation festival and its primary purpose is to celebrate emancipation. Yes, the celebration involves music, dance, food, parades and other exciting activities, but we must never lose sight of why we are celebrating.”

COVID-19 has come along to force us to look at ourselves, forced us to reflect on how we celebrate and why we celebrate. COVID-19, therefore, has presented us with an opportunity, even in the midst of this crisis,” he added.

True meaning distorted overtime


Dr Wheatley also reminded residents that the BVI’s emancipation celebrations did not always have the millions of dollars of spending or the famous regional and international recording artists that it is now known for in recent times.

He described the old-time celebrations as “community-based events with persons volunteering, friends who haven’t seen each other in a while catching up, families coming together in a festive spirit and everyone eating, drinking, dancing and putting our culture on display”.

“The true meaning of emancipation over the years has evolved into a misrepresentation,” Wheatley stated.

“Somewhere along the line we lost our way. Somewhere along the line it became more about money, someway along the line we embraced drunken revelry more than a celebration of our ancestors. Somewhere along the line it became just an outing to enjoy our favourite artist rather than an opportunity to thank God that we are free.”

Remember the history of the BVI


Premier Andrew Fahie also expressed similar sentiments, adding that residents should join in the celebration of the BVI from the safety of virtual programming that will be offered until August 5.

He said: “Yes, for this year we will miss the colourful banners waving in the streets, having the Festival Village in Road Town, Rise & Shine, local bands and artists, international guest artists, Queen Show, Parade, Prince & Princess — all the things that you usually enjoy huddled together.”

“But this does not erase the fact that we are a free people whose ancestors fought and died to give us the life we have today. It does not change the fact that the culture of our ancestors is alive in our hearts,” he added.

Virtual Opening Ceremony


Meanwhile, Saturday’s virtual opening ceremony included several performances and musical renditions depicting the history of the territory.

These included drama performances by Dwian Frett, a music exhibition by the band Razor Blades, along with a visual presentation by Director of the Department of Culture Dr Katherine Smith.

Virtual Emancipation Service


The virtual emancipation service followed on Sunday and further displayed the territory’s history with the guidance of a number of historians in the field.

These included Director of the Virgin Islands Studies Institute at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College Bernadine Louis and retired Educator and Consultant Dr Quincy Lettsome.

The music renditions were executed by the 2019 Gen Y Factor winner Dwight Hutchinson Jr, while Director of Projects in the Ministry of Finance Dr Drexel Glasgow played the saxophone.

Slogan and theme of festival


The slogan for this year’s emancipation festivities is ‘BVI Festival 2020: Be Fully Free: Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery as we Celebrate our Virgin Islands History’.

The theme is “Our Cultural Heritage in the Mix as BVI Celebrates it’s 66”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×