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‘Let us not forget 360 years of colonisation & oppression’- Bishop John I. Cline

Clergyman and commentator Bishop John I. Cline has admonished that as the Virgin Islands celebrates emancipation from slavery that it never forgets the unimaginable cruelty, struggles and sacrifices that our ancestors had to face to eventually achieve partial freedom. Photo: Facebook
It is only fitting to remember and honour the resilience and the strength and the faith and the sacrifice of our ancestors in this season of Emancipation, Bishop John I. Cline has said. Photo: Facebook/File
It is only fitting to remember and honour the resilience and the strength and the faith and the sacrifice of our ancestors in this season of Emancipation, Bishop John I. Cline has said. Photo: Facebook/File
Bishop John I. Cline said he was praying for a safe emancipation celebration and urged everyone to act and behave responsibly. Photo: VI Festival/File
Bishop John I. Cline said he was praying for a safe emancipation celebration and urged everyone to act and behave responsibly. Photo: VI Festival/File
DUFF’S BOTTOM, Tortola, VI- Clergyman and commentator Bishop John I. Cline has admonished that as the Virgin Islands celebrates emancipation from slavery that it never forgets the unimaginable cruelty, struggles and sacrifices that our ancestors had to face to eventually achieve partial freedom.

Noting that he was travelling to Africa today, July 25, 2025, for his usual biennial mission, Bishop Cline stated in a Facebook Live that he wanted to give his best wishes to the territory as it commemorates Emancipation.

‘Our ancestors endured unimaginable cruelty’

‘We are in that season and that time of the year when we honour the legacy and we commemorate our Emancipation Day. We honour the resilience and the strength and the sacrifice of our ancestors who endured unimaginable cruelty, the lynching, the rape, the torture, the long hours of hard work without rest or pay and yet they worked tirelessly to secure their freedom.”

Bishop Cline continued that August 1, 1834, marked the beginning of the end of one of the darkest and most inhumane and evil periods known to mankind- the Atlantic Slave Trade.

“Therefore, it is only fitting to remember and honour the resilience and the strength and the faith and the sacrifice of our ancestors. Let us celebrate them in the spirit they stood and fought. May their legacy inspire us to strive for justice and equality for all people around the world, and peace and safety and prosperity at home.

“As we celebrate our emancipation, let us honour the memory of those who paved the way for us to be free today.”

‘We are not quite free’

Bishop Cline added that Virgin Islanders must work together to secure a brighter future for those who are coming behind, just as our foreparents did.

Further, Bishop urged Virgin Islanders to work together for a future in the VI where peace, safety, and prosperity for all are a national priority.

“May the spirit of our emancipation be felt in this country and around the Caribbean. Let us never forget that our history is rooted in a strong, resilient, forward-thinking people. This is our emancipation time. Let us not take our emancipation for granted. Let us not ever forget the sacrifice of our ancestors. Let us not forget the brutality they faced. Let us not forget, you know, 360 years of colonisation and oppression and still we are not quite free, but we work diligently toward that freedom, and we believe that we will achieve it in our lifetime.

“We are committed to doing what we will to realise our self-governance.”

Bishop Cline said he was praying for a safe emancipation celebration and urged everyone to act and behave responsibly.

“Yes, you will have a good time, but let us not in our celebration and in the festivities, forget. Take time to remember the lives that were lost during the Atlantic Slave Trade and those who died, those who fought, those who survived, so that we can be here today.”

17 Responses to “‘Let us not forget 360 years of colonisation & oppression’- Bishop John I. Cline”

  • Xxx (25/07/2025, 13:57) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    Tell um bishop
  • BRAD BOYNES (25/07/2025, 14:07) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
    The colonization and oppression still going on in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere but for the Virgin Islands you see it everyday. Clean that cycle.
  • Endtimes (25/07/2025, 15:27) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
    ‘Let us not forget 360 years of colonisation & oppression’- Bishop John I. Cline

    Imagine he is a so-called Pastor and look at his comment. Instead, he should be preaching the gospel and calling men and women out of their sins, as the coming of the Lord is near. You can't try to hold God in one hand and the devil in the other. You have to choose a side, Mr. Cline.
    • VI to The Bone (25/07/2025, 16:18) Like (5) Dislike (4) Reply
      @Endtimes. The Bishop is exercising as right of freedom of expression. The man, like him or not, said nothing wrong. Every Virgin Islands should be looking toward a future of an independent Virgin Islands.
    • @ Endtimes (25/07/2025, 17:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      The more disturbing aspect of the article, apart from everything he said was facts facts facts but the apparent trying to kill the messenger instead of talking about reperation!!!
  • c (25/07/2025, 15:45) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Move on and improve yourself
  • Herbs Powa (25/07/2025, 16:04) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    Bishop I have news for you. It's the same people that give us Christianity is who still have us colonized. So you my black brother contributed and still contributing greatly to it.
  • african (25/07/2025, 16:29) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    Yes, but we are the ones oppressing ourselves now. Talk that too.
  • Norris Turnbull (25/07/2025, 16:32) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    All right Grindsman you know best.
  • open wide (25/07/2025, 17:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Give me our independence or death
  • asking for a friend (25/07/2025, 17:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    What role does the governor and his uk staff believe they should be playing here? They've remained completely silent on the matter.
  • For Real (25/07/2025, 18:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Really, you all don't respect where you come from!! Tortola is not a part of this globe,!! It's not an island!!
  • Josiahsbay (25/07/2025, 18:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    We have not only forgotten the struggles and hardships that our forebears endured while striving for emancipation, but we also make excuses to remain under the yoke of our colonizers. We are not making a genuine attempt at self-determination. Have the referendum!
  • Let's not forget guys (25/07/2025, 18:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Yes true

    And let's not forget

    COVID grant scheme

    Fake students

    Fake fishers

    Fake farmers

    Ssb money

    Deteriorating roads for the the past decades

    Government buildings unfixed since Irma but money for a parties and music artist that sings about sex drugs violence and gangs

    Tax money putting into bank of Asia without the public knowledge

    Awarding a criminal with a serious offence nationality cuz "you felt bad"

    13 yes olds with guns

    Calling everyone with big chains , tattoos, big solid, etc a business man

    Having clear indication of Coco trade but ntn ever in the news for money laundering


    Paying rent to family friends while government buildings remain mash up for years

    Paying barges money to patrol the boarder only for them to be docked up throughout

    Prolonged time to increase minimum wage to measly amount but quick to pass greedy bill

    Refuse to implement a sex offender list despite knowing offenders in vulnerable areas like schools daycare hospitals etc

    Lack of price control while the businesses continue to abuse residents with price increases every week and giving 10c discount

    Bi water schemes

    Airport schemes

    Pier park scheme

    Water off after 6pm

    Sewage running into the streets

    1 yr plus to build a stretch of road and still going


    Lastly let's not forget that our past leader was willing to sell the territory to cartels to enrich is friends family and whoever in their close circle
  • hello (25/07/2025, 19:03) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hi Bishop, i find it strange that there is no mention of our lord and savior Jesus Christ by you in this article. What is this spirit of emancipation you speak of yet we know the true power is in his name JESUS? Whats the point of remembering slavery if we have the redeemer in our hearts? Im not judging you but i am calling you out on something i think deserves answers. Where in scripture did Jesus teach us to remember the pain of our past and to what purpose? We dont need to remember it in order to move forward if we have God.
  • Eldread (25/07/2025, 20:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    But how come this bishop cline don't stand up against the present corrupt colonial power devolve to natalio Wheatley to take $260k and give to Vybz Kartel and bank of Asia $5 million USD.
    Instead he don't want Myron interrogate natalio too hard on these matter.
    That's the way of our for slave master natalio behaving like, power devolve in colonialism, our black people are what once a white position over the people and the economy, and as slave wealth was extracted from our labor in the fields to cut cane and pick cotton , the wealth that was generated was extracted to the UK and built real estate and affluent lifestyle, so to premiere Wheatley engage in wealth extraction to Vybz Kartel giving he $250k to build a new house in Jamaica, and our $5 million USD is extracted to Asia to enrich other races while our people suffer just like how the white colonial slave master have us, you must see colonialism will still be with us as neocolonialism like the independent Caribbean, they all swear to the royal family of UK, and the commonwealth system corrupt the politicians to behave like a coconut, brown outside and white inside, the do things like there white predecessor, even you as the bishop want to placate the population to behave like obedient slave and let the entitlement political family and friends do as they like with public funds, and that's true because you torturing Myron and the alliance to keep quiet.


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