‘The VIslander was known for his honesty, integrity & good work ethic’- Dr Angel Smith
This is according to Dr Angel Smith, Director of Virgin Islands Studies at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), who was a guest on Honestly Speaking aired on ZBVI 780 AM on Tuesday, March, 27, 2018 with commentator Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline, former Managing Director of BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) and social commentator, connecting the history of the VI with the controversial bill.
Dr Smith pointed out that during the discourse of the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency Act 2018, the minister would make reference to the history of the territory but explained that persons have to be careful when talking about the history, especially the issue of slavery:
He said, “I like the fact that a lot of discussion has been happening over the past few weeks and months and persons are prone to talk about the history and who we are and where we came from. However, we pay little attention to our history and sometimes that information that is presented is a bit distorted. We pick up a little bit of information and we run with it but we don’t take it to what it really means. We need to be careful when we start to evoking the issue of slavery into the discourse now without understanding what it meant at that time and what it meant for our forefathers.”
The lecturer further explained that it is very important for persons to understand themselves and their cultural identity as it can cause issues while noting that around the world you can identify a specific nationally by something that stands out in them.
“Our cultural identity has become something that we have paid little or no attention to. Anywhere you go in the world, you meet a race of persons, you meet persons of a specific nationality, and you can identify them but something that stands out about them. What it is that stands out about Virgin Islanders?” asked the indigenous Virgin Islander.
Honesty, integrity & good work ethic
Meanwhile, Dr Smith indicated that Virgin Islanders were known for their “honesty and integrity” but expressed that he does not know if that still exists now.
Recalling a story from Anegada many years ago where a boat captain was given a list and money to purchase items on St Thomas, it was said when the boat captain returned he would bring back the items and a report of how the money was spent. Dr Smith commented that back then, boat captains would travel and shop for persons on Tortola and the sister islands.
In addition, Dr Smith mentioned that the boat captains would bring back messages in the form of money because at that time there was no money gram or western union and they knew for sure that it was going to be delivered in full.
In response, Mr Skelton-Cline recalled that it was Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Opposition Leader and First District Representative, who emphasised that confidence must be restored in the people, to trust the government with the territory’s affairs.
“That is important because that is the breach that is taking place in every sector of our lives. We accuse each other of all kind of stuff and the Opposition Leader said that is part of the confidence that is going to have to be restored."
“Virgin Islanders appreciated hard work”
Dr Smith, during the talk show, dispelled the statement that VIslanders are “lazy and don’t want to work”, while indicating that history shows VIslanders during the enslavement system “appreciated hard work”.
“We have a lot of discussions today about Virgin Islanders don’t want to work, they lazy and all that is not true. The Virgin Islands developed, even to enslavement, a system where they appreciated hard work. The Virgin Islanders know the importance of hard work," Dr Smith stated.
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17 Responses to “‘The VIslander was known for his honesty, integrity & good work ethic’- Dr Angel Smith”
No one is "entitled" without humility, empathy and good values. What makes you think you deserve something without
working for it or earning it? you kicking back and expecting something?
You see the thing with the pats in the BVI is You may have been welcomed into, adopted into, married into, had children in, benefitted significantly from the government and even gotten citizenship (which by the way can be taken away) and by these things you feel that the owner of the house must lap he tail and shut up but you fail to understand that you can never replace someone for their birth rite.
You people are eternally out of place EXCEPT OF COURSE when you are defending your birth rite in your country!
Smhhhh
1. Influx of immigrants...this created a situation where the BVIslander saw opportunity to 'exploit' others with rental houseing, cheap labour, and taking advantage of women who came here to make a better life for themselves. Too many families messed up because of "outside" affairs...also, marriages of convenience. It is a bitter pill, but the social fabric changed, and it affected the whole balance. Too many disenfranchised youths...lack of family stability...identity crisis about who Belong and who not belong.
2. Where BVIslanders used to own the economy, they now have to share it with outside investors who are also on the exploitation mission....The banks, Insurance companies, Telecomunication companies....the all play a part in changing the culture of the BVI.
3. Too many churches that are not making any positive difference in society. The churches exist mainly to grow membership and collect money....a lot of immigrants make up the churches because they see it as a way to get ahead in the BVI. Pastors can help them, other church members help them get good goverment jobs, etc. Everybody working the system....no wonder nobody can be trusted anymore.
4. Locals outnumbers 3 to 1...BVIslanders don't feel they have any firstplace status in their country anymore.
Dr. Angel Smith, what do you propose to fix this problem. You mention returning to former glory of good work ethics...but how. BVIslanders need to repent and turn to God for real, not just support church tradition. Only God can heal this land. Give the leaders a new mindset to make godly decisions and behave like civilized, god-fearing men. There is hope as long they don't let "VI Pride" get in their way.
These are what will take us into the future. Not too much looking back and saying all the hard work done by our forefathers so now just here to collect.
Humbleness in the face of our small island status in a giant global system. We need to learn how we can thrive in it, and teach our children to learn and try hard.
In today's society, the acqusition of land and more land, the pursuit of money and luxuries have destroyed such myths
Too bad the millenials will never experience the attributes that once constituted a Virgin Islander(United Kingdom)!