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Are VIslanders placing nationality before race?

With the Virgin Islands’ Emancipation Festival just concluded, a discussion on race and the history of African descendants dominated the Umoja radio forum last evening, August 15, 2013 and it was implied that descendants of Africans may be putting their nationality ahead of their race. Photo: VINO/File
During the programme, which was hosted by commentators Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru and Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka, Smith (right) stated, “The thing that we are doing now as African descendants of putting nationalities before race, no other group on the planet is doing that.” Photo: VINO/File
During the programme, which was hosted by commentators Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru and Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka, Smith (right) stated, “The thing that we are doing now as African descendants of putting nationalities before race, no other group on the planet is doing that.” Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – With the Virgin Islands’ Emancipation Festival just concluded, a discussion on race and the history of African descendants dominated the Umoja radio forum last evening, August 15, 2013 and it was implied that descendants of Africans may be putting their nationality ahead of their race.

During the programme, which was hosted by commentators Natalio Wheatley aka Sowande Uhuru and Cromwell Smith aka Edju En Ka, Smith stated, “The thing that we are doing now as African descendants of putting nationalities before race, no other group on the planet is doing that.”

He mentioned that all other groups on the planet, in their success as a group, particularly the Caucasian (white) race’s success as a group, was based on putting race before nationality. He also noted that Asians followed a similar trend in behaviour pattern.

Smith stated that the story of African history and enslavement needs to be told and done in such a way “where we as African descendants unite with each other across nationalities.”

The view was not limited to Caribbean or English speaking descendants of African slaves as according to Smith, “All African descendants around the world, if we had a modicum of unity, would be celebrating the African descendants’ emancipation from the transatlantic slave trade and the plantation era. Even the African brothers and sisters would have a celebration.”

Earlier, Smith said, “The story of our greatness as a people needs to be told so that when the transatlantic slave trade story is told we could have an appreciation of where we were and what we have fallen to.”

Wheatley suggested that this would also offer a view of what this enslavement really means to the culture of African descendants.

The duo said that a misrepresentation of history has been passed on with the tale that Africans sold their brothers into slavery with Smith stating that “nothing could be further from the truth”. He added that it was a case of the victim being made to take the blame for his own enslavement.

According to Wheatley, many who have perpetuated this line of reasoning have simply never bothered to do the necessary research but have parroted what they were told by other, similarly misinformed individuals.

27 Responses to “Are VIslanders placing nationality before race?”

  • xxxxxxxx (16/08/2013, 07:58) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    I agree and the BVI is very racism…just ask the some local police officers
  • ARL (16/08/2013, 08:21) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    Sure, emancipation needs to be better celebrated and understood.
    BUT ... do you believe solutions to the BVI community's problems lie in a race-based approach?
    Do you seriously claim that white folks were united around this idea that their whiteness was the most important thing guiding their actions? Check your history. White folks didn't take no notice of skin color when they spent thousands of years killing each other for the simple motives of greed and power. They didn't advance because they were united. They love to kill, rob and steal off each other as much as anyone else.
    So don't go dreaming black folk around the world will somehow dominate planet earth if they could only turn themselves into some kind of black panthers or black kkk. That's just foolishness. Division along the lines of complexion is only a fast track to bloodshed. And that blood is always red, no matter whose it is.
    • The Analyst (17/08/2013, 08:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      To ARL, its a two folded statement you made. This is not about White people its about Race and Greed. There are some who's only purpose in life is to keep their bloodline or gene pool as pure as possible. Look at Hitler and the Arian race he started or try to maintain. Jews are not black they are Caucasians and they were slaughtered now they doing the same to the Persians who are also Caucasians. There are some as you say who do this just for greed and power. The slave trade was about greed and power not about race. Look at what the Caucasians did when they had Asians work on the American Rail Road System. Look at what they did to the Indians, The Spaniards who are also Caucasians went just about every place in the world and destroyed everything they touched and saw just for Gold - Greed. So what Smith and Wheatley are saying is for Africans and Descendants to do the same. Unite and Prosper, now that can be the root of many things. It does not have to follow the destructive path the Caucasians have taken over the centuries. The Asians are United, The Persians are united all are united more than the Africans. I don't know if its a fear the world has if the Africans Unite because the world has the continent in a complete mess. I dont know if its about the resources the continent has and if so, then its about greed and that need to be purged. a lot have tried to Unite the Africans but were either killed or dis-credited publicly. Hmmmm what is the fear?
      • ARL (17/08/2013, 10:09) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        Analyst, your post is a fine example of the nonsense people talk when all they learn is a little small bit about black history and not a damn thing else. What happened to actually educating yourself for the value of wider knowledge?
        I think you are saying - to no one's surprise - Africans unite. Well, good. It is a fine sentiment to aspire to. In the real world, reality will continue day to day, regardless.
        A couple of things you need to research, quickly: First you say, the Jews are Caucasian!!!?
        WTF planet are you on? The Jews are .... Jewish and have been since Adam and Eve.
        Second: The Jews are slaughtering the .... Persians??? LORD HAVE MERCY. No my friend, you are talking about Palestinians. Persians, though of a similar skin color and look are very, very different. What are you, a racist? Hint - Iran used to be called Persia, not any more. And are the Iranians OR Palestinians Caucasian? NO!!!! They are Iranian (Persian) and Arab.
        Please, all you people who go around lecturing us all on black supremacy and the giant conspiracies going on against black people – back off until you've educated yourselves to at least a basic level of understanding the world. It is not a planet made up of Us and Them (black and almost everyone else is 'Caucasian' ie from the Caucuses). It is a complicated mixed up world in which good and evil appear in many colors for many reasons. Don't tear our island apart by preaching this kind of half-baked 'knowledge' which is really just total, embarrassing ignorance.
        • Analyst (18/08/2013, 14:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          Being a jew is of the Judism Religion. Its not a people. Palestine is a region, its like saying Tortolians are a people because we are from Tortola. Knowledge is deeper than the prima-facia comments and thoughts you conceive. IRAQ, IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA etc. are all Persians who assimilate themselves by regions. The bigger picture is they are all Caucasians, Persians, Asians, Africans etc.. no matter the country. If you believe the adam and eve story then i have 10,000 acres of beach front property in the Sahara Desert to sell you.
  • too hot (16/08/2013, 08:25) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
    Absolute rubbish....English people call themselves English, Irish call themselves Irish, most American call themselves American. Tortolians should call themselves Tortolians no matter what race they are.
    • dude (16/08/2013, 09:13) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Those are all different breed of white ppl. I understand what they were tryign to convey & I don't know b/c I didn't listen to the show whether they explained it properly or if this new site left out the details.

      Anyway, Chinese & chinese everywhere, Indians are indians everywhere. BUt the major reason why this cannot happen with black people is b/c we are not all of similar origin. All balack ppl aren't directly from "Africa" And we were all different tribes with different cultures & it's had to differientiate who were Ashanti, Israelite, Zulu etc etc where as many of the other cultures although they were similarly tribal have common religious beliefs & culture that unite them we have always had different cultures with our race.

      Just as within little BVI there are many different cultures & an outsider would not know what is really BVI culture from Dominican, Jamaican, Kittian etc

      Touchy subject for most as they have never learned about how they arrived here or about the 1st world order in the first place.
    • watchful (19/08/2013, 14:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      It's not about nationality, it's about race. Saying you are from a particular area is not the same as this is who I represent. Being a Tolian means what exactly? That you belong to a geographic area, what does this mean of your race?
  • Descendant (16/08/2013, 09:04) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    It is a fact that Africans practice a form of slavery. The difference is that those slaves were treated like an extension of the family. The descendants of the slaves were also slaves. These slaves were sold to the slave traders by their African owners, because they believed that their slaves would have been treated the same way they treated them. It took the abolitionist to educate the Africans to what was going on and got them to stop the trade.
    An African girl I once tried to date told me it did not make sense because she would never be able to marry me. The reason: I was a descendant of slaves and she was of a different bloodline. The high class Africans look at all black Westerners as descendants of slaves, lower class. So Slavery was a reality in African Societies, it was just different. Slaves in Africa were like modern day maids, nanny and gardeners. They were a part of the home and were treated as such.
  • kkk (16/08/2013, 09:33) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    racism at the highest level in the bvi
  • terrible (16/08/2013, 10:31) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Yes, I strongly believe that ancesters were at fault with the slave trade. The people in Afican countries right now, are still suffering due to their own.
    • dude (16/08/2013, 11:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      U have alot of learning to do. Go on youtube & start with Dr.Yoseph Benjocannan.
  • Vi massive (16/08/2013, 11:13) Like (0) Dislike (5) Reply
    As black brothers and sisters we should all ban together the problem is these racist who control the economy, the police force and the white house
  • Nyah bingi order (16/08/2013, 13:32) Like (0) Dislike (6) Reply
    My brethrens the I them have your order twisted youths born in the BVI of expats parent is BVIlanders if they were born in STT there Americans the same bro youths was born here of DA mom but its ok to call his youths BVIlanders come on balance your self wha good for the goose good for the gander fyah for your all unfair practices Jah is the order of the day
    • . (16/08/2013, 14:49) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Sorry dready, utter nonsense you a chat. What good for the USVI is not good for the BVI. You see all them projects out Bovoni and all about? You think we want them here? We don't! So just settle yourself. We are not them, we have our own laws.
  • tom (16/08/2013, 13:55) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Racism here is the same as usa
  • chad (16/08/2013, 13:59) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pure and utter nonsense, every country in the world strives to be united by nationality, not race. You on the other hand would rather a racially divided country, one united by being black instead of being a Virgin Islander. Let me tell you the outcome...more disfranchisement. It is bad enough we are seperated by belonger and non-belonger, not you want us racially divided.

    Furthermore, what's up with idealizing the white man,. The white man has constantly been to wars within themselves, UK Irish relations or with other white countries, world war 2 anyone?

  • Albion (16/08/2013, 15:13) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    Huh? “The thing that we are doing now as African descendants of putting nationalities before race, no other group on the planet is doing that.” That must be untrue. I think every other country in the world puts nationality before race. If you see a white American, then it would be perfectly natural for him to say "I will always try to employ an American before I employ a foreigner". But it would be shocking if he said "I will always try to employ a white man before I employ someone from another race." I would hope that would be true of all ethnic groups, whether they are American, BVI or whatever.
    • not so (16/08/2013, 18:15) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
      The truth is the will always employ a white person no matter here they re from over a Blake person.
  • one love (16/08/2013, 22:17) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    We have to remember as black people, we were the only group due to slavery lost their complete identity; our name, our language, our culture and our religion. We were then thought to hate ourselves; our skin, our hair, our nose, our lips and our eyes. We were thought we were the ultimate example of what beauty is not. We carry these beliefs to this day. Although the Caribbean is mainly black people we are divided, not by chance but by the strategic plans of the Europe. They create laws that keep us in bondage, but we see it as safe guarding our heritage as, Virgin Islanders, Anguillans, Turks and Caucus Islanders, Cayman Islander, Bermudan and Montserratian. The British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean are for the most part doing well and now with British Citizenship, they frown at the former colonies. Divide and concur it works ever time.
  • Like (16/08/2013, 23:25) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    conwell should know his NDP likes Whites
  • Forbidden Truth (17/08/2013, 08:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Racism is an illness. The big question is- ARE YOU SICK?
  • ARL (17/08/2013, 10:16) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    This whole talk is so disgusting. The last country I can think of, Cornwell, that put race first in the way they governed themselves, was South Africa. They called it 'separate development' or 'apartheid'.
    The world hated that government and eventually it fell because it was morally bankrupt and pure evil.
    So, is that what you are calling for in the BVI? Some kind of separate development political regime, with black people first class citizens, all others second?
    How in God's name is that going to make this country well again?


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