As a post-slavery society, the Virgin Islands annually commemorates emancipation in celebration of our freedom as a people. This year was no different, and the celebrations held in recent days marked 190 years.
However, emancipation is more than just about celebrating our foreparents’ freedom from slavery on Aug. 1, 1834. It is also about protecting and preserving the rights we have since gained as a people in our long and continuous struggle for human dignity and the freedom to determine our own destiny.
The ultimate expression of these rights is self-government, which is a fundamental principle of self-determination. The people of the VI have an inalienable right to govern themselves as a national community, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Our foreparents fought hard for self-government to give us the power to build better lives for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Britain, after all, had done very little to help their situation over the 116 years following emancipation, in contrast to the payments the British government made to the former slave masters to compensate them for the slaves they previously owned.
Great March
After decades of poor economic and social conditions in the VI and the colony’s lack of opportunity, the people organised the Great March of 1949 to protest colonial neglect and to demand self-government.
The protest was successful in pressuring Britain to approve a constitution in 1950 that reconstituted a local legislature (the Legislative Council) and gave the people of the islands the democratic right to elect their own representatives to make laws for the society. The move also embedded their political right to participate in the governing process through their representatives.
This initial step was followed by the introduction of ministerial government in 1967, which gave the local government executive authority for the first time. In 1977, this authority was further expanded by the devolution of the public finance portfolio from the British-appointed governor to the elected government.
‘Tireless efforts’
The historical record shows that the modern development of the VI came on the back of the tireless efforts of the islands’ political leaders, who ensured the provision of modern primary schools in each district; modern comprehensive secondary schools to serve all students; tertiary education at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College; the granting of scholarships for higher education abroad; a modern hospital to take care of the sick; a road network for vehicular transportation; electricity and running water for modern living; and modern government facilities from which to administer the affairs of the islands, among other things. This is in stark contrast to the previous era of direct rule by Britain, in which there was little progress and the VI became the poorest part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands.
‘Wrongheaded’ calls
Today there are some members of our community who are dissatisfied with local governance and continue to call for Britain to take over the islands or for the governor to be granted additional constitutional powers over ministries for a temporary period. This is wrongheaded and said out of frustration.
They must keep in mind that removing or overriding a democratically elected government simply because there is dissatisfaction with its performance is incongruent with democratic principles in the Commonwealth and beyond.
Indeed, democracy is not perfect anywhere, and imperialism is not a cure.
The VI’s path of political change remains elections, which we have proudly practised uninterrupted since 1950.
Any concerns about the performance of government should be addressed through reform and technical assistance, not the removal of democracy or colonial impositions.
Disillusioned?
Individuals who feel disillusioned must remember that despite some errors by various government administrations and ongoing challenges in the society, on balance, self-government has delivered much for the people of the VI. We must not forget this or dismiss or downplay the accomplishments of local government, regardless of political affiliation or personal views.
As a people whose ancestors suffered the indignation of slavery and British colonial maltreatment, we must never compromise the freedom we have gained — especially our democratic, political and human rights. Nor should we seek to justify why Britain should have the unilateral authority to take these rights away from us.
Lesson of slavery
The enduring lesson of slavery is that once your freedom is taken away, there is no guarantee that it will be given back. No nation, government, people or person should have that power over another people.
We owe it to our foreparents to preserve and protect the freedom we enjoy today that they suffered, endured and fought so hard to gain for our benefit and that of future generations.
As we celebrate the emancipation season each year, let us not forget their sacrifice and our responsibility today as a people.
Mr. Wheatley is special envoy to his brother, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley. He is also a continuing policy fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge.