Opposition Leader and Eighth District Representative, Hon Marlon A. Penn, has said the freedom enjoyed today must be protected as it is not permanently secured. Photo: YouTube

A scene from the opening ceremony of the 250th Commemoration of the Anniversary of Freedom of Nottingham Estate on Sunday, June 28, 2026. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

Some of the attendees of the opening ceremony of the 250th Commemoration of the Anniversary of Freedom of Nottingham Estate on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Stickit in Long Look. Photo: GIS

Honourable Penn spoke at the opening ceremony of the 250th Commemoration of the Anniversary of Freedom of Nottingham Estate on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Stickit in Long Look. Penn, who is a direct descendant of the 25 who settled as a free people in Long Look, said every profession, every achievement, every success is another chapter written in the story of our ancestors that began over 250 years ago. 

He asked those present to imagine what the 25 would have thought if they could see the accomplishments of their descendants who have become the Leader of the Opposition, Premier of the Virgin Islands, own businesses, educate generations, heal the sick, lead communities, and help govern the nation. 

“Would they imagine that their story [would] still be told a quarter of a millennium later?”

Never mistake celebration for completion

Hon Penn added that the descendants of the original Long Look people are living the dream they did not have the opportunity to see fulfilled. He quickly reminded them that celebration should never be mistaken for completion. 

“Their legacy is not simply something we inherit. It is something we must protect. For freedom is never permanently secured. It must be defended by every generation.”

Their ancestors, he said, understood that freedom meant more than removing chains; freedom meant owning land, building families, creating opportunities, educating children, standing together, lifting each other, and leaving something better for those who would come after. 

“That remains our responsibility today. As the descendants of a Nottingham free people, we must continue to build communities where young people can dream without limits, where families remain strong, where opportunities are created, where our heritage is preserved, where unity triumphs over division, and where future generations will proudly say, ‘Our ancestors left us more than memories. They left us a foundation.’”