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VI celebrates holiday name change: Heroes & Foreparents Day

-St. Ursula’s Day is no more as country looks towards greater self-determination
The Holiday is now called Heroes and Foreparents Day and as the Virgin Islands (VI) moves towards self-determination and recognizing its culture and history, the removal of the name St. Ursula is seen as one of the moves to enlighten the people. Photo: Facebook/Hon Kye M. Rymer
On 16th October, 1954, the First Sitting of the First Session of the Second Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands took place. The sitting was held at St. George’s Hall in Road Town and some of the members included Acting Administrative Assistant- Honourable H.R. Penn, MBE along with member for Virgin Gorda and Anegada- Honourable T.H. Faulkner and first member of Tortola Central-Honourable I. G. Fonseca. Photo: Vilingual/Virgin Islands House of Assembly
On 16th October, 1954, the First Sitting of the First Session of the Second Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands took place. The sitting was held at St. George’s Hall in Road Town and some of the members included Acting Administrative Assistant- Honourable H.R. Penn, MBE along with member for Virgin Gorda and Anegada- Honourable T.H. Faulkner and first member of Tortola Central-Honourable I. G. Fonseca. Photo: Vilingual/Virgin Islands House of Assembly
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Today, Monday October 18, 2021, is a public holiday in the Virgin Islands, however, the holiday now carries a new name replacing St. Ursula’s Day.

The Holiday is now called 'Heroes and Foreparents Day' and as the Virgin Islands (VI) moves towards self-determination and recognizing its culture and history, the removal of the name St. Ursula is seen as one of the moves to enlighten the people.

The colonial power of the United Kingdom is fighting to maintain its practice and policy of control over the Islands and does not support democracy where there is a population of 85% blacks.

Currently, in the VI, there is a white Governor appointed by the British who has ultimate power in the local constitution.

Heroes’ and Foreparents Day will celebrate VI legacy 

According to Deputy Premier and Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries, and Agriculture, Dr. the Honorable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), Heroes and Foreparents Day was established to recognize outstanding Virgin Islanders of the past who contributed to the development of the territory.

In a social media post today, Hon Carvin Malone (AL), a Territorial Member in Parliament and the Minister for Health and Social Development said he “wholly and unequivocally endorse and support it as  a national holiday.”

Hon Malone further noted, “Our ancestors are rejoicing.”  

The holiday name change is in keeping with the Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) led 2-year Virgin Islands Party Administration, to promote and educate the community on the history, heritage, culture, and national development of the VI.

43 Responses to “VI celebrates holiday name change: Heroes & Foreparents Day”

  • rattie (18/10/2021, 17:41) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
    Well done !!
    • Jacko (19/10/2021, 00:17) Like (14) Dislike (12) Reply
      Never seen such a racist news article.
      • @ jacko (19/10/2021, 02:20) Like (7) Dislike (26) Reply
        Blacks cannot be racist bottom line, so go sit down with your own racist hate because the people change a holiday
        • @Jacko (19/10/2021, 06:44) Like (21) Dislike (1) Reply
          You never seen how people talk to the Asians working in Simply D--------then? Why dont you ask them folks whether they think blacl people can be racist?
          • @@ reply (19/10/2021, 07:47) Like (4) Dislike (14) Reply
            talking is different from having power to kill, enslave, oppress and invade. You will never get away from your 400 years history of white supremacy and racism that you also practice in the BVI
        • @@Jacko (19/10/2021, 07:30) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
          Contemporary use of the vocabulary of racism no longer confines it to whites; Chinese, blacks, Japanese, Latinos, and other people of color are recognized to include in their ranks racially bigoted persons and, more broadly, to be subject to racial prejudices. These attitudes can be directed toward other groups of color, toward whites, or toward members of one’s own group. People of color are also capable of developing belief systems based on racial superiority, in which some groups of color are superior and whites or other groups of color are inferior.
    • Spelling (19/10/2021, 20:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      It’s a dumb idea but if it’s done it needs to have two apostrophes.
  • My girl (18/10/2021, 17:46) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    Happy holidays bvi
  • huh (18/10/2021, 17:56) Like (11) Dislike (12) Reply
    What really is this holiday name? Total confusion
  • Really (18/10/2021, 17:59) Like (7) Dislike (17) Reply
    No sah... is Patsy Lake face up there as a hero?
    • @ Really (18/10/2021, 18:13) Like (13) Dislike (16) Reply
      In fact we should name a road off market lake she is one of the few real sheroes in the bvi no one outside of crazy Cindy can dispute that
    • @Really (19/10/2021, 15:55) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      Difficult to tell what part of her body that is.
  • Name? (18/10/2021, 18:52) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    this is a different name than heroes and forefathers that was announced?

    Ursula is the patron of the Order of St. Ursula (Ursulines), a congregation of nuns dedicated to educating girls. In the 1969 reform of the Roman Catholic church calendar her feast day was reduced to observances in certain localities.
  • resident (18/10/2021, 19:15) Like (20) Dislike (9) Reply
    why is patsy lake in that pic
    • @ resdient (18/10/2021, 19:26) Like (15) Dislike (23) Reply
      because she and the positive action movement fought for wickhams cay so we do not be slaves in the homeland. I AGREE A ROAD SHOULD BE NAMED IN HER HONOR

      we would not allow the haters to rewire history!!!
      • resident (19/10/2021, 09:05) Like (39) Dislike (1) Reply
        one time action, doesn't excuse a lifetime of corruption
      • robocop (19/10/2021, 10:36) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
        convincing you the white man is the enemy while picking your pockets. She plays you for fools if you think she a hero
      • wow (20/10/2021, 07:22) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        You all need to go and do some serious research. Patsy only got involved after Lloyd, Decastro, Smith, Nibbs, Farrington stormed the Government House and got arrested. She needs to truthfully explain her part in PAM and let the real Heroes get their Glory. Luella Harrigan was more closer to these guys than Patsy.
  • @ ENLIGHTENING US ? (18/10/2021, 19:30) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    YEP YOU GOT THE RIGHT WORD ✅
  • 911 (18/10/2021, 20:49) Like (2) Dislike (7) Reply
    Good move we need our independence
  • hmmm (18/10/2021, 22:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hmmmmm..sell out ...mickey mouse hero
  • Thursday (18/10/2021, 22:41) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    But wasn’t it supp to be Thursday?
  • History (18/10/2021, 22:50) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    it is good & wise to reminisce about our past (history) a presentation today took us back to 1721

    some how we are very skeptical about the future: i personally mingle with my fore parents back in the 1950s

    somewhat concerned with what the future holds for the grandchildren in the british virgin islands

  • BVI Future (18/10/2021, 23:17) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    St. Ursula is on the BVI flag. Does that mean we are replacing the flag as well?
  • fill in (19/10/2021, 00:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    W.W Smith bottom center. District 1
  • Rubber Duck (19/10/2021, 00:23) Like (2) Dislike (19) Reply
    Good move we need to chase the British out
  • BuzzBvi (19/10/2021, 01:38) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    Need to change flag and get the real people progressing the country. Fahie top left, tpp, top right, dolphin (why do we enslave these animals?) bottom left and a picture or elon musk, richard branson or besos going into space, bottom right because surely the VI knows someone that was involved and should be on the flag. Tiinting may be necessary. Maybe Sylvester fueled the project??? (With our money.) Yeh Sylvester. or P the Clementine L.
  • Xxx (19/10/2021, 02:23) Like (2) Dislike (30) Reply
    Keep educating the people yall, we need our freedom we need our independence

    We get nothing from the uk!!! opps sorry, we got some vaccine and a COI
  • VG (19/10/2021, 05:31) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well sir politics nation where is the roof faces like Noel loyd
  • starbucks (19/10/2021, 06:05) Like (1) Dislike (6) Reply
    This day needed to celebrate the biggest unsung hero of the BVI, the late, great Ran Pickering of Road Town. Everyone would agree that Ran’s contributions to the BVi religious society helped catapult us to the next level of spirituality. Look at how the people of Anegada, most BVI politicians and even local law enforcement trusted his revered services, many of times for free. Please take a moment let’s salute Ran!
  • Repent (19/10/2021, 09:47) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    Time for another 30 days of prayer to atone for replacing the VI's patron saint holiday with a holiday for old business people in the VI.
  • Lucifer (19/10/2021, 10:39) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    When will we have a day to commemorate the Arawak people, the original settlers of these lands. They have as much claim than anyone to these islands
  • E. Leonard (19/10/2021, 11:58) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Happy Heroes/Heroines and Foreparents Day! Though the VI can have a large number of official public holidays, it is not prudent to do so for economic and other reasons; thus, it must be targeted and selective in the number of public holiday it officially celebrates. The change from St. Ursula to Heroes and Foreparents Day is a noteworth move. It is important and noteworthy that VI recognize and celebrate its sons and daughters/heroes and heroines who made invaluable contributions to economic, social, cultural etc development of the territory.

    Presumably, Saint Ursula was celebrated as a national holiday, for Columbus supposedly on his second voyage in 1493 to the new world (now the West Indies/Caribbean already existed ) stumbled (something that already existed is not discovered)upon on the islands and they reminded him of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins (Santa ursula y sus once mil vírgenes). IMO, presently, Saint Ursula’s relevance to VI’s culture ship has sailed.

    Moreover, both National Heroes/Heroines and Foreparents are well-deserving of recognition and celebration. Nonetheless, Foreparents earned and deserved their separate day of recognition and celebration. They duly earned and deserved it through the dehumanization, brutality, exploitation, blood, sweat, and tears etc endured. Is the VI coat of arms going to be redesigned?
    • Marching to own drum (19/10/2021, 12:56) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      E. Leonard, Boi, you marching to your drum. You always have a different angle from most on most things. You see this is why I stay clear and guarded around quiet people, especially men who move undercover. Lol. Still water run deep. I’m being a little tongue and cheek and silly. Interesting take on the holiday.
    • @E. Leonard (19/10/2021, 16:36) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      @E. Leonard, good question about the coat of arms. Is there a disconnect here. St. Ursula is being replaced as a public holiday. No problem with this action. But if St. Ursula is being replace as a holiday, should not her image and representation also be removed from the coat of arms? Was this an oversight that policy makers and advisors missed? Is it the next course of action.
    • Ne Timeas (19/10/2021, 22:10) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      E. Leonard, good read. Foreparents stand alone holiday. No argument here, for they deserve and are worthy of it. National heroes too need an official day of recognition. Ne Timeas: Latin for don’t be afraid. And you nah fraid at all. In Antigua, it is ‘tarl.’
  • Avid 19 (19/10/2021, 15:04) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    Time to round up the colonist around us and put an end to this foot on our necks.
  • Thinker (19/10/2021, 15:07) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    WHO WAS THE LAST HERO , THAT WERE RECORDED IN OUR BOOK'S . WHAT QUALIFIED ONE TO BE CONSIDERED BECOMING A LOCAL HERO. ?
  • vi (19/10/2021, 16:29) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Is the police boat name change to
  • teacher john (19/10/2021, 18:53) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    The white man is the issue why do we have a governor in 2021?


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