Long Look's Legacy Proves We Can Govern Ourselves

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley has urged Virgin Islanders not to allow anyone to convince them they are incapable of governing themselves. He said the Territory's ancestors had already shown the courage needed to take the next step towards greater self-determination.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony for the commemoration celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Freedom at Nottingham Estate held at The Stickett in Long Look on Sunday, June 28.

The Premier linked the legacy of those who secured their freedom to the Virgin Islands' upcoming constitutional negotiations with the United Kingdom, which are expected to begin next month.

“The constitutional journey before us must be approached with wisdom, discipline, and unity,” Dr. Wheatley said.

“We must listen to one another. We must educate our people. We must consult widely. We must negotiate carefully. We must build institutions worthy of the future we seek.”

However, he said the Territory must enter those discussions with confidence rather than uncertainty.

“We must never begin from doubt. We must never let anyone convince us that we lack the capacity to govern ourselves. We must never forget that capacity grows when responsibility is accepted,” he declared.

Drawing on the history of Long Look, Dr. Wheatley said the men and women who claimed their freedom 250 years ago did not know what the future held but chose to move forward nonetheless.

“The Long Look free people did not have every answer on the day they became free. They did not see the full staircase. They took the first step, then the next and then the next... and they built a community that still stands 250 years later.”

He urged Virgin Islanders to follow that example.

“So let us take our next step. Let us take it with prayer. Let us take it with humility. Let us take it with preparation. Let us take it with confidence. Let us take it with the spirit of Long Look.”

The Premier added that the Territory's resilience was deeply rooted in its people.

“The roadmap is already in us. It is in our DNA, it is in our memory. It is in our families, it is in our churches, it is in our seafaring tradition. It is in our response to hurricanes. It is in our entrepreneurship. It is in our public service, and it is in our love for the land. It is our refusal to disappear. Our ancestors live within us.”

'My Assignment Is Clear'

Reflecting on the significance of the Long Look Freedom commemoration, Dr. Wheatley described the community as sacred ground where one of the Territory's defining moments unfolded.

“Here one of the most powerful stories of human endurance and ingenuity happened. Here freedom was claimed. Here families were formed, and here people survived an enslaved society,” he said.

The Premier said that legacy now places a responsibility on today's generation to continue advancing the Territory.

“My assignment is clear, to help carry the work of freedom forward, to help lead the Virgin Islands towards greater dignity, greater responsibility and greater self-determination, to help Long Look take its rightful place as a cradle of Virgin Islands democracy, resilience and courage, and to help turn the story of Long Look into a future of opportunity for the people of Long Look.”

He said freedom today extends beyond physical emancipation and must also be reflected in responsibility, unity and purpose.

“Free in mind, free in spirit, free in responsibility, free in unity, free in purpose, free to shape our destiny under God.”