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VI UPDATE U.S. Virgin Islands Public Records TRANSCRIPT OF PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS African Liberation Day Ceremony Legislature USVI May 29, 2026 · 2.8 hours · gov Source recording https://youtu.be/EMR6QYY2zrI Status This is a working transcript produced by machine from a recording of a public proceeding. It is a finding aid, not an official record of the Legislature. Transcribed by VI Update, using OpenAI Whisper large-v3-turbo, run locally. Not reviewed by a person. Reliability Automatic transcription, UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording before relying on it. Speech recognition splits spoken digits and wraps figures mid-number, so a dollar amount, a vote count or a bill number can be wrong in a way that reads as correct. Speakers are not identified: automatic speaker labelling was measured unusable and removed. Public record The underlying proceeding is a public record of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. 3 V.I.C. § 881(a) defines public records to include all records and documents of or belonging to this Territory or any branch of government, or any "department, board, council or committee of any branch of government" · which names legislative committees by category. § 881(b) gives every citizen the right to examine and copy such records, and the news media the right to publish them. (The open-meetings chapter, 1 V.I.C. § 254, does NOT reach the Legislature: § 253(b) expressly excludes it and its Standing and Special Committees. § 881 does, and it is § 881 that confers the right to copy and publish.) The Legislature broadcast this proceeding publicly itself. The source recording is not ours, is not hosted here, and remains with its publisher at the link above. Rights To what we added · the transcription, its arrangement and its description · we assert nothing. A verbatim transcript is mechanical rather than authored, so there is likely nothing in it to own; to the extent any copyright is nonetheless found to subsist, it is dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. Please copy it, quote it, index it, train on it, republish it, mirror it, sell it. Redistribution is the point: a public record with one copy is one fire from gone. No permission is needed, and none is ours to grant or withhold. Thank you. Thank you. 0:00:00 Thank you. Thank you. 0:01:00 Thank you. Little boy, little boy. 0:02:00 Thank you. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. 0:03:00 Thank you. We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We'll be right back. 0:05:30 Now entering the gutter-free music zone. Yeah, but Jim Twisted, that's just how we go. 100% positive hip-hop and R&B. Brought to you by gutterfreehiphop.com. I dedicate this song to recession, depression, and unemployment. This song's for you. Today's a new day. But there is no sunshine. Nothing but clouds and it's dark in my heart And it feels like a cold night Today's a new day But where are my blue skies? Where is the love and the joy that you promised me? Tell me it's alright I'll be honest with you I almost gave up with a power that I can't explain Fell from heaven like a shower When I think how much better I'm gonna be when this is over Smile, even though I hurt, see I smile I know God is working so I smile Even though I've been here for a while What you do? 0:08:30 I smile, I smile It's so hard to look up when you get down Sure would hate to see you give up now God's people You look so much better when you smile, so smile Now every day ain't gonna be perfect, but it still don't mean today don't have purpose Today's a new day, but there is no sunshine Nothing but clouds and it's dark in my heart and it feels like a cold night It ain't easy, bud Today's a new day, but tell me where are my blue skies Where is that love, y'all? Where is the love and the joy that you promised me? 0:09:46 Tell me it's all right The truth is I almost gave up on a power that I can't explain That Holy Ghost power, y'all Thank you. Thank you. We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. 0:10:31 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 1 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony We'll be right back. Let's get started. Thank you. 0:13:26 We'll be right back. Thank you. I love you We'll be right back. [3 such phrases repeated 14 times · standby audio before the proceeding, transcribed by the recogniser as speech] 0:14:56 Thank you. Thank you. 0:22:26 We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 0:23:26 We'll be right back. Thank you. 0:25:26 Thank you. Thank you. 0:26:26 Thank you. We'll be right back. [2 such phrases repeated 11 times · standby audio before the proceeding, transcribed by the recogniser as speech] 0:27:26 We'll be right back. Thank you. We'll be right back. 0:32:56 Thank you. We'll be right back. We run, we run Thank you. [3 such phrases repeated 14 times · standby audio before the proceeding, transcribed by the recogniser as speech] 0:34:26 We'll be right back. We'll be right back. 0:41:56 Thank you. We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. 0:42:56 Oh, oh, oh, oh Thank you. 0:44:56 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We'll be right back. 0:45:56 His isn't. We'll be right back. 0:48:56 Good morning, everybody. I want to thank you all for being here today. We appreciate it. I'm going to turn the microphone over to our Empress of Ceremonies, Miss Felicia Blake. Good morning everybody. Good morning. 0:49:56 Welcome to African Liberation Day Ceremony for 2026. The theme is United Africa is a shining black star, our star of destiny and for humanity. So we'd like to open the ceremony with the traditional African way with the conglower. And the conglower is Jason Mead, he's Jason Mead Sr. He's a cultural traditional artist and he's a business person too. 0:50:29 Please stand. I am going to be your Empress of Ceremonies today, my name is Felicia Blake, and I I do a lot of cultural celebrations. I'm a member of the Pan-African Support Group. 0:51:07 We're gonna start with the Virgin Islands March. So please stand. it's um being done wait okay um with the virgin allen's march and the black national anthem the sankofa cultural group will be and we welcome you to the stage and they are coming through right now. 0:51:59 All hail the Virgin Islands Emeralds of the sea When beaches bright with coral sand And trade winds bless our native land All hail the Virgin Islands Within waters blue We give our loyalty For to thee I pledge allegiance forever true. 0:53:19 God bless the Virgin Islands. Humbly now we pray. Where all mankind can join today. And friendly warmth of work and play. God bless the Virgin Islands, beautiful and tall, beneath the sunny skies, hilltops high, oh Lord, are welcome for one and all. Wait, I'll do this after. 0:54:26 Let us rejoice in our hearts, high as the list is found. Let us be well, proud as the holy sea. Sing a song full of faith that the darkness has taught us. Sing a song full of the faith that the present has gone on us. 0:55:47 Facing the rising sun of a new day begun, let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we tried, bigger the chains he found. Felt in the days when hope unborn had died. 0:56:22 Yet with a steady breath, and on our way we meet. Come to the grace for which our parents are We have come all the way that with tears has been watered We have come treading our path through the blood of the storm Not from the gloomy past till now we stand at last Where the white beam of our white star is cast God of the weary years, God of our silent tears Thou who hast brought us thus far on our way, Thou who hast by Thy mind led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path we pray Lest our feet stray from the places of God where we met Thee Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world we forget Thee Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand, to do our God, to do our way to them. 0:56:55 We thank you, Sankofa Cultural Group. Give them a round of applause. Next, we have, true to all African rituals, we always open with libation. And it is pouring water to the earth, but we don't really have earth in here, but he's going to pour into that. 0:58:49 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 2 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony And Malakai, you want to go ahead? Morning. Thank you, everybody. So, the name my parents gave me is Malakai Thomas. the name my initiators gave me is Oshun Dayo and that means Oshun brings joy so in 2019 I was initiated into the mysteries of Oshun the Orisha Oshun which is the Orisha of fresh water femininity fertility and everything sweet that exists in the universe and so before I begin this libation which we call etule which means the cooling of the earth i just want to frame what's about to happen and so when coming here i started to think you know what does it mean for us to be african what does it mean to be liberated what does it mean to be and i think it's important that we understand that our africanness and our africanity is not in relation to or in consideration of european ways of thinking and being and so how tune are we with our physical cells how in tune are we with our spiritual cells our consciousness how in tune are we with the material how in tune are we with the immaterial right these are questions uh and considerations daily uh that in the traditional sense are being answered are being asked and are being manipulated and negotiated so i'm going to do this it truly in the lukemi tradition acknowledging god in all of its different manifestations and the different material and immaterial energies that exist in the universe okay Thank you. Thanks. Like I said, we normally, you know, it goes on the ground, but no question is for it to make our license here in the back. 0:59:39 Normally we would, we would create an opportunity for everyone to call the name their ancestors there's a lot of people in here so for time when i reach to that point of the libation i'm going to do an all-inclusive acknowledgement of my ancestors everybody's ancestors the ancestors of the virgin islands and the ancestors that traveled across the great pond okay Thank you. Coral, mojubabobo ku tiyoluku mi, mojubabobo ku tilefe, mojubabobo ku Bobo Virgin Islands, mojubabobo ku mi osundayo, mojubabobo ku iwora fasesemilene nukoshe. Kinkamase baba tobi mi ishobi, kinkamase ayubona kamia kwe olodun, kinkamase oba mi ki mafo, kinkamase olu o mi fatolokun, kinkamase obalade, kinkamase adeoni, kinkamase adebi ocha, kinkamase sangowale, Kinkamashé, eshu laye. Kinkamashé, ifabu kola oje kemi o mi leye. Kinkamashé, o misa ya de. Kinkamashé, bobo yora yora fashesha mi le nukoshe. Kinkamashé, mi o shundayo. Kinkamashé, bobo eni yankamay leye. E gungun kiki e gungun e gungun e gungun iku ranfia woko o pipo roshube fun le wo e gungun iku bata itu baka banga e gungun de biya ba fato inale e gungun ashe de a lele tole utire ko jongo kunko lo prada odimo le Ah, kosi ku, kosi arun, kosi ejo, kosi ofo, kosi osi, kosi fitibo, kosi tia tia, kosi bobo araye o sokbo. Ire aiku, ire a lafya, ire owo, ire omo, ire oma, ire aje, ire ayo, ire shegun, bobo ire ariku babawa, oro egun, achi. 1:01:44 that's it so at the end i didn't explain this at the end we gone we dashed away all the negativity that exists yes in the world and we invited all the positive things that exist so we dashed away death We dashed away sickness, we dashed away loss, we dashed away problems with the law, we dashed away poverty, and we invited health, long life. Adiku is actually immortality, not long life, it's immortality based on the works that we create while on earth. we do not die we live forever the spirit never dies we invited children we invited wisdom we invited happiness we invited wealth and we invited victory over all obstacles okay and so the last part is to call your ancestors go ahead and do it Just call your ancestors all out at once, and we will go from there. 1:04:20 All at once. All at once. Okay. next we have the invocation by reverend charles you may stand testing one two testing one two testing one two no problem First, I want to say thank you for this opportunity to represent at this auspicious occasion. 1:05:38 I am the Reverend Charles L. Brown, Jr. I am the chaplain of the legislature, and I'm also pastor of Family of Faith African Methodist Episcopal Church, the only African Methodist Episcopal Church on this island. Let us look to the Lord. We bless you, God, for this opportunity to fulfill the requirements of Act 5473, commemorating African Heritage Week and African Liberation Day by hosting this ceremony on Capitol grounds. In 2026, if we ever needed you, Lord, we sure need you now. We witnessed the horror of black history being assaulted by bans on critical race theory, diversity, equity, and inclusion, the banning of books that speak to the liberation of Africans across the diaspora, the revisionist history being taught in our schools. First, they invoked your name, Lord, to violently scapegoat us based on the lie that you called them to conquer us. They masqueraded their missionary work as a holy calling when in reality it was the swindling of our ancestors in Africa out of our land and our people which they enslaved and took across the Atlantic to colonize the West. 1:06:42 they stripped us of our african names divided our families and created a whole social political system of a disenfranchisement that we see functioning in high gear today god the trauma that we have endured and continue to endure manifests itself in how we are willing to hate each other and so so easily disrespect and violate and appropriate the tools of the oppressor and use them on one another. Forgive us, Father, for neglecting to embrace and personify the spirit of Pan-Africanism in Edward Wilman Blinded and the commitment to social justice and resistance in David Hamilton Jackson and Rothschild Francis, of Anna Hegard, of Queen Mary and Queen Agnes and Queen Mathilda and so many others. Lord, when we see all the melting problems and the rolling backs of rights and freedoms across this nation and in our territory, we are reminded that we are not alone. For in the good book Paul wrote, we are pressed on every side but not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted but not abandoned. We are struck down, but we are 1:08:14 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 3 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony not destroyed. Lord, we know that with you on our side, this time is not a time to be afraid, for you have given us not a spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind. This is a time to fight, and fight we shall, but not with man-made weapons, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Empower us to pull down strongholds, revive in us a spirit of resistance as we long for liberation in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Asheh. Asheh, asheh-oh. Next thing we have is, we're going to read the code he talked about. The proclamation, the third week in May, as Virgin Islands African Heritage Week, whereas the ancestors of a major portion of the population of the Virgin Islands are African, and whereas these Africans were brought to the Virgin Islands by force, taken away from their homeland, family, and culture. 1:10:31 And whereas the culture and heritage of the Virgin Islands is largely due to this African heritage and whereas time should be set aside to remember our proud African heritage And, whereas the legislature of the Virgin Islands urges all residents to join in the observance of Virgin Islands African Heritage Week, which will serve to commemorate the evolution of the Virgin Islands through our African heritage, now, therefore, be it enacted by the legislature of the Virgin Islands. Section 1, Title 1, Virgin Islands Code, is amended by adding a new section in 1908. 1:11:12 To read as follows, Section 1908, Virgin Islands Heritage Week and African Liberation Day. The third week in May shall be observed as Virgin Islands African Heritage Week, and the third Friday of the May shall be observed as African Liberation Day. At least 15 days prior to the Virgin Islands African Heritage Week, the Governor shall issue a proclamation to reflect upon African thought, African heritage. 1:12:03 The governor shall appoint a committee each year to coordinate with the African Appraisal Workshop and other interested community groups and to develop appropriate plans, programs, and ceremonies for the celebration of African Heritage Week in the Virgin Islands. The legislature on African Liberation Day shall hold appropriate ceremonies on the grounds of the Capitol building, Shalda Malia, St. Thomas. Such ceremonies shall include the raising of the African Liberation Flag. 1:12:38 Approved November 3rd, 1989. 1989, act number 5708, bill number 190049, to designate May 25th as African Liberation Day, be enacted by the legislature of the Virgin Islands, section one, title one, section 192, subsection A, Virgin Islands Code, is amended by deleting the word third Friday and inserting in lieu thereof the following 25th day. 1:13:22 Approved June 4th, 1991. That is the Acts of African Liberation Day and that is the law in the Virgin Islands. Ashe. Ashe. Now we are getting ready for the ECHO people to do a heritage tribute. Yes. Microphone. Everybody say ACHE! ACHE! 1:14:03 Yes. First I'd like to say our people have been trampled down ever since we left the motherland all the contributions black people have made to the world up to now we still can't get that recognition i just grab yourself up these mighty wrists we have survived we have survived we have survived we have survived we have survived we're here today is a day to celebrate that we celebrate that we recognize african liberation day ashay And still we rise. 1:14:44 Funga ala fiya axé axé axé axé axé axé axé axé axé axé axé Thank you. 1:15:52 Ache, ache Ache, ache Ache, ache Ashe, ashe. Axé, axé Axé, axé Axé, axé Axé Thank you. Make it up. 1:16:52 Ah, shit. Thank you. no coincidence we are african descendant we know who we are we are children of africa this is how we just celebrate We got people from all over, never forget, we'll always Remember Mama, Africa. 1:18:59 Hey, ashe, ashe, ashe, mama, ashe, ashe, mama, ashe, mama. Ashe, ashe, asheyo. You've been hearing this term a lot and it means so be it, take it to the foot of God. It is like amen. It's an African term. Wow. 1:21:06 I can't hear nothing up here. Okay. So. One, one, two? One, two. One, two. Now it's starting to come true. we couldn't hear not pay at all. Okay. Yeah, you were great and fantastic. Okay, so thank you to the ECHO people. You want to come and give us a little term about the ECHO people and a little bit of your history, a little bit, just. Yeah, the history of the ECHO people basically from 1994, we've been a group we've been having different individuals join the group along the way but we carry on this struggle and every level we defend africa to the fullest fullness thereof we're gonna always be doing that this is about us this ain't about no other race this is about the black race it's over 400 years we've been trampled down and more we can't take it no more only one way out of this center was and is up we hit rock bottom it's time to go up the brother say we rise the sister say we rise we be rising, we continue to rise, we come in again, we gonna run this planet again. The black people are the first on the planet, we gonna continue, we will be them first people again on the planet. We say, happy African Liberation Day. 1:21:45 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 4 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony Thank you. Okay, the next thing, we are going to have the Honorable Milton E. Potter, President of the 36th Legislature, And he is also, he's going to give us his remarks, and he is going to show you the proclamation that came from the governor. Thank you. Thank you very much, Empress of Ceremony, Felicia Blake. Good morning, everyone. 1:23:05 I want to just start by thanking Mr. Malachi Thomas for dashing away any negative vibes and negative spirits that might have been in these chambers. They're no longer in here. Thank you for that. Pastor Charles, thank you very much. I never clapped for a prayer before. This is a force. Your words are powerful. And to the echo people, I could have just sit here in a chair and listen to y'all drumming all day. Powerful and I appreciate it. Let's give them a round of applause again. So, good morning again, fellow senators. 1:23:40 And I have several of my colleagues here today. Senator Marvin Blyden, Senator Ray Fonseca, Senator Angel Bulquez, Senator Carla Joseph, Senator Duane DeGraf, distinguished guests, and all who have gathered here in these chambers today. I want to just say welcome to you, and thank you for your commitment to ensuring that we never forget. African Liberation Day is not a relic of the past. it is a living breathing call a call that echoes from the shores of the continent to the shores of our territory of these islands and today in this very chamber we answer that call on may 25 1963 leaders of newly independent african nations gathered in addis ababa and declared with one voice that the time for freedom was not tomorrow it was now they understood that but something that we here in the Virgin Islands must never lose sight of. That liberation is not simply the absence of change, it is the presence of dignity. It is the presence of self-determination. It is the presence of a people who know who they truly are and where we come from. 1:24:18 And where do we come from? We come from the continent of Africa, not in a distant, abstract, textbook sense. We come from Africa in our blood, in our rhythm, in the way we cook our foods, and call our neighbors by name. We come from Africa in the resilience that carried our ancestors through the Middle Passage, through the action block, through the cane fields of St. Croix, and the hills of St. Thomas and St. John. That resilience did not appear from nowhere. It was forged on a continent, ancient and mighty. 1:25:40 A continent that gave the world its first civilizations, its first mathematics, its first sense of community. I am because we are. We must never forget that. Sometimes in the busyness of our island life, we can allow distance, geographic distance, generational distance to make us feel separate from our African brothers and sisters. But separation is an illusion. When a mother in Accra weeps for her child, something in us should stir. When a village in Nairobi rises to build something better, something in us should rise too. Because their story and our Our stories are chapters in the same book, a book that was written long before colonialism tried to tear out the pages. To be a Virgin Islander is to carry Africa with you. 1:26:17 That is not a burden, that is a crown. Today I challenge each of us as legislators, as leaders, as members of this community to honor that crown, to teach our children not just that they're Caribbean, but that they are descendants of Africa. And that descent carries with it a legacy of genius, a legacy of courage, and a legacy of an unbreakable will to be free. To look upon persons from the African continent, not as strangers, but as family. Extended family, yes, but family nonetheless. African Liberation Day reminds us that the struggle for freedom is never fully finished. Here in the Virgin Islands, we know that truth ultimately. Our own journey toward greater self-determination continues, and it is strengthened, not weakened, when we stand in solidarity with the broader African diaspora and with the continent itself. So let us leave here today not merely having absorbed the ceremony, but having made a commitment. A commitment to know our roots, to respect our roots, and to let those roots, deep, ancient, and African, continue to nourish everything we build in this territory. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, and may the spirit of African Liberation Day live in our hearts for far beyond this morning. 1:27:20 Thank you very much. I keep forgetting that I am a little shorter than other people. OK, now we have the Bambula presentation by the Sankofa Cultural. 1:28:57 Can we call them to the floor? And Bambula, keep coming. Keep coming. Keep coming. Bambula. okay um so that you know bambula they just swept away all the spirits and stuff so they it is a cultural dance it comes from out of africa but it is our cultural dance and it is worn they wear white And it is a spirit. And let's go, cultural dancers, because they are excellent and they're well-trained. 1:29:39 Let it go, I am clever. Let's say, let it go, let we find we go and go, are we freedom? Yep. We step on the road, I step on the road. We step on the road, we find it going for our own freedom. Let it roll. I don't let it roll. They say, let it roll every time we go and go out in the street of someone. I am a clear road Let's say, let it go Let's keep my feet going For I will be free to go Free to go I will be free to go . 1:30:56 . Let's go! [2 such phrases repeated 12 times · standby audio before the proceeding, transcribed by the recogniser as speech] 1:32:30 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 5 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony Thank you. We'll be right back. 1:33:26 Thank you. Thank you. Asher, asher, asher, oh! 1:34:26 Sankofa cultural group let's give them another round of applause and bring them back so they cleared the road we're going for our freedom okay so the next person we have coming up is is Lindy Wee tour, Lindy Wen, I know I keep saying that wrong. 1:35:53 That I am. Greetings, honorable. Honorable senators, honorable legislative staff, honorable guests, honorable listening audience. I would like to thank the legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands for having long recognized the importance of observing African Liberation Day. This 36th legislature is now hosting the 37th annual African Liberation Day ceremony. 1:36:51 Please permit me to introduce myself and explain why this day is so important. My name is Lindiwe Suwer Francis. My husband Hektito Alamu Francis and I are the co-founders of a non-profit organization called ascension liberty inc we are actively establishing direct relationships with counterparts throughout africa we are a part of the emancipation day coalition and collaborate with the pan-african support group we grow food inc camp umoja and near farms and several individual culture bearers in both districts we serve our beloved community as we strive to nurture the next generation of culture bearers through cultural education programs for youth and families and our annual juneteenth emancipation day 1733 st john tour and kwanzaa community engagements our annual art and culture juneteenth celebration was introduced three years ago with the support of funding from both the community foundation of the virgin islands and the virgin islands council on the arts side note the legislature has also provided us with funding for which we are very appreciative thank you back to my explanation Last year, there was significant social media discourse, with many here at home and abroad opposing observing Juneteenth and the Independence Day celebrations of any country other than their own. 1:37:33 That's like someone telling me not to acknowledge or celebrate my cousin's birthday because she was born in the BVI. Say what? Please permit me to share with you the three paradigms that I meditate upon to reconcile this discourse. Nations rise and fall, guilty by association, and God is faithful. Nations rise and fall. 1:39:27 Africa was the goat. The greatest of all time among nations. Therefore, Africa fell long and hard. Over the course of centuries, millions of Africans were captured, enslaved, and scattered throughout the world by Arabs, then by Europeans. To keep Africa and her people underfoot, her historical record was maligned because Because sustaining our oppression requires belittling Africa. Guilty by association. Family names and reputations precede each of us. 1:40:02 Some benefit from family wealth or status. Some are persecuted, imprisoned, or even killed because of family or friendship ties. All are associated one with another. No matter what we do as individuals and as communities, our freedom and image are directly linked to the freedom and image of Africa, like it or not. The intelligence, ingenuity and grandeur, same as the pain and stress of our ancestors, remain ingrained in our DNA. 1:40:48 We rise at times in admiration and pride. We fall at other times, feeling inferior, ugly, betrayed by God. Much like we embrace the benefits of ancestral greatness, I'm black and I'm proud. We must also accept the consequences of the sins of our ancestors. But God has not betrayed us. God is faithful. 1:41:29 Much like the pains of childbirth have breathed life into each of us, the pains of enslavement have strategically placed millions of us throughout the diaspora for a time such as now to help Africa unite, to help Africa become a world power once again. God faithfully saw to it that Africa has the largest abundance of natural resources on the planet and the human resources throughout the diaspora to conscientiously manage and sustain continent-wide production to unveil Africa's true global worth and prominence. 1:42:03 America's becoming a world power is the single most important reality that will demand respect for Africans everywhere. Racism will not disappear. Actually, many more people might choose to dislike or resent us, and that's okay. We don't need others to like us. We only need to like and respect ourselves. And accept nothing less than due respect. So beloved, don't compromise. 1:42:51 Every generation has a cause to fight. Today, all generations and ethnicities of African people throughout all the world are being urged to unite for the cause of making Africa great again throughout Africa the Caribbean across the globe socioeconomic and socio-political paradigms are shifting unity self-determination and reciprocity are the new world order on May 25th 1962 more than two-thirds of African countries had achieved independence the organization of african unity was formed and april 15 african freedom day was changed to may 25th african liberation day in 2011 south sudan became the last african country to gain independence however However, beginning in 2022, a new phase, a true phase of independence is underway in Africa, with Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and later Senegal kicking out the French to pursue sovereignty. There is a federation of Sahel states, Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana have a borderless alliance. 1:43:29 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 6 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony There is an African Export-Import Bank, a Pan-African Payment Settlement System, a Karakon Payment and Settlement System developed to process cross-border payments without intermediaries or the use of U.S. currency. Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent established free movement agreements. This administration has ambitions for direct trade with Ghana. These and more are the blueprint, the permission, if needed, for all the African diaspora to unite, to be confident that we don't need our former enslavers. 1:45:04 Beloved, we are not inferior. We can answer the call. We can commit to cultural learning and student exchanges to combat miseducation and build respect and trust. We can form economic alliances with and without the now stronger currencies of the West to provide unconditional aid to Africa and ourselves. We can trade directly with Africa and other countries within the diaspora and strengthen and broaden the use of African currency. We can form political blocks and pressure Western governments to end imperialism, cease military occupation, and destabilization tactics, and trade with Africa as an equal. The list goes on. 1:45:49 The challenge that we face is to not simply be intoxicated by this forward and upward momentum. Yes, we need to take part in worldwide rallies like Traore Day. But every day, we need to seize the day, control the unfolding of this pivotal time in history. Now is Africa's time to be great again. now is our time for true liberation the god in us continues to reign supreme through our quest for universal justice and freedom but we must act with that purpose at heart in our prayers in all our deeds the spirit of god in each of us is leading each to know Know who we are. 1:46:46 Know that love, justice, and freedom are here in this life, now, because we make it so. Rise above the pain, anger, and discouragement. Be uncompromisingly and unapologetically loved. Be free. Be universally free. May we submit to the precepts of the Most High God and rise in the glory of God's blessings. Thank you for listening. 1:47:42 Give her another round of applause. Now we're getting ready to call the Dance Tribute, Body Talk, Wisdom Moves. Marie, you want to give a little thing about your group? 1:48:34 Okay, okay. Thank you. ? ? ? ? 1:49:05 ? Oh, my God. Do I want to wait? [3 such phrases repeated 10 times · standby audio before the proceeding, transcribed by the recogniser as speech] 1:49:53 Oh My My My My My My My My My My Oh, no, no, no Thank you. My name is Kambwe My name is Kambwe My name is Kambwe You leave a look to a look to a look to a one when you 1:50:41 Oh, my God. Thank you. 1:53:02 I can never kill you, Lord. No, I can't. How do you feel? You feel right? Yeah, for sure. Yes, for sure. You can follow me, please. O Sanayi Muye nae Zalamo Yet call this sacred soil our home. Virgin Islanders, lift up your voice. Freedom was never a casual choice. 1:54:02 It was carved through the lashes, the chains, the pain. Through mothers crying in vain. There was a time our people stood. families broken without shame so how can we live and not recall the mighty rise after the fall how can we dance and not give praise for those who fought to free our days African Liberation Day is not a date that history forgot. It is the drumbeat of the free, the echoes across every sea. It is Ghana rising proud and tall. It is Haiti answering freedom's call. It is mark us speaking through the flame reminding us to know our name freedom must be celebrated loudly freedom must be warned proudly freedom is not something old it is a miracle our ancestors sold so wave the red the black the green honor every struggle seen and unseen for people once denied the sun can now rise together as one teach the children where we've been teaching that change or not pretend teach them liberty is sacred land that can disappear from careless hands virgin islanders 1:55:11 remember this day not with your silence but with your praise for a people who once were not free should never ever forget the gift that it is to be Happy African Liberation Day. As we say, Ashe! Ashe! Ashe! 1:57:10 Ashe! Mama, mama, mama, kata, mani, koto, dina, tokei! Salud la yunabu, soulu, salud la yunabu, soulu, salud la yunabu, soulu. Yeeeeh, salud la yunabu, soulu, salud la yunabu, soulu. Das amoyen, das amblei, tokei! 1:57:40 Il faut à gauche, il faut à droite, il faut à gauche, il faut à droite. Thank you. Thank you everybody. 1:58:16 I am making money to take a look to take two days. See, see, see. I am making money to take a look. BAMIDA WAZEKI, A-ZU-ZU, A-ZU-ZU, A-ZU-ZU, Katsina esutarissime et complexe, exacté, il ne s'agit donc plus de la Chère Medoissi. Toujours en allemant. Ashe, ashe, ashe, oh. 1:59:08 Okay. Amen. In all languages of Africa, we are going to call our next remarks with Liba Olani, Pan-African Support Group. Let's just sit there. Good morning. Good morning. 2:00:02 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 7 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony Buenos dias. Greetings to one and all the senators who present, the audience, those who go sit and stream, I don't hear streaming it, and stream. Africa and Africans, those at home and abroad will rise again. Africa and Africans, those at home and abroad will rise again. A paraphrasing, a baby call, but before I start it, let's give a hand to them young I don't know if you all observe it, but I see the spirit of Africa in the dance and in the song. 2:00:43 So imagine, I'm telling the senator and government officials, department of education in particular, teach African, Caribbean, and border island history and culture in school from K to 12 and at the university level. And you're going to see the dynamic of all people expressing their pride in their African identity and heritage. Ashir. Teach it. Paraphrasing. I ain't a minister, though. But I just paraphrasing something. 2:01:47 We are not fighting against flesh and blood, right? But we are against power structures with corrupt presidents, prime ministers, and chancellors. We are against imperialist powers, autocratic and authoritarian rulers in darkness in this world. We are against spiritual wickedness and corruption in high places. In other words, we must know who our friends and our enemies are, not only in the past, but in this time. And there's another biblical quote. 2:02:25 You know the one with the stone that the biller refused? Yeah, yeah, but I paraphrase in this one. The continent that the Western powers abuse shall be the Hekana stone. Africa and Africans, those at home and abroad, will rise again. And again, I like the teaching from our great, before it started, identity, identity. Kwame Nkrumah said, I am not African because I was not born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me, and I'd like to read this anonymous poem, it said this, I am an African not because I was born there, but because my heart beats with Africa. 2:03:09 I am an African not because my skin is black, but because my mind is engaged by Africa. I am an African not because I live on its soil, but because my soul is at home in Africa. When Africa weeps, like the senator said, for her children, my cheeks are stained with tears. When Africa honors her elders, my head is bowed in respect. When hope for the future is brightened, Africa mourns for her victim. My hands are joined in prey. 2:04:05 When Africa celebrates her triumphs, my feet are alive with dancing. See the dancing we have? I am African for her blue sky take my breath away, and my hope for the future is. I am African for how people greet me as family and teach me the meaning of community. I am African for how wildness crunches my spirit and brings me closer to the source of life. When the music of Africa beats in the wind, my blood plows to its rhythm. and I become the essence of song when the colors of Africa dazzle in the sun the red, black, green my senses drink my senses drink in its rainbow and I become the palette of nature when the stories of Africa echoes around the fire my feet walk in its pathway and because the footprints of history and I become the footprints of history. 2:04:45 I am African because it is the cradle of our birth and nature and ancient wisdom. I am African because she lives in the world's shadow embossed with a radiant luminosity. I am an African because she is the land of tomorrow, and I recognize her gifts are secret. Ashe? Ashe! To emphasize that, and I'm not going to talk long, you know, but let's bring to the point, Africa is rising, people. It's rising, and we Africans must be unborn. Liberation of Africa is also the liberation of the African diaspora. Those of us in the Caribbean, North, Central, South America, there's over 300, well, me put this with some figures, say 200 to 300 African, some speaking Spanish, some speaking English, some speaking Dutch. 2:05:58 Here in the Western Hemisphere, Africa is alive and well in the West. Not just in Africa, over here also. That's why we are still around, people. Africa, like Linda Wee said, sister Linda Wee said, consists of 30% of the world's key resources. You get people going, all kinds of countries going in, United States, Europe, United Arab countries, Russia, China, everybody going to Africa. 2:07:03 But here's the question, where are the Africans coming to Africa? so that we could control the resources so that we could develop ourselves and whatever we have left over, we could share with the rest of the world. So this is serious that Africa is the second largest continent, right? That's what they say, that's what they tell us. Three times the size of the United States, you know? United States, it can't beat Africa in size. Three times. And have either the second or the third largest population, 1.5 billion. 2:07:40 Okay, he said second, billion people, you understand? Are you trying to tell me we are African over here in the Western Africa, you want to identify 1.5 billion people, and Africa is the youngest continent? Yes, have the youngest population. So imagine those young stars get a history, culture, and origin, that's gonna tell you something, that it's gonna propel Africa to stand on its own two feet. yes is it down two feet africa got the oldest history the oldest culture and we ain't trying to be superior or anything we just that's the fact that's the reality that's what them european scientists tell us something you know i mean africa is the cradle of humanity civilization so-called lucy they call the parcel so-called lucy right but she's the mother of all nationality color and so forth an african woman you understand africa is the cradle of civilization okay did we get light did we like these people around here of course they use that knowledge and abuse it of course you know what i mean but africa is on the rise people africa will rise again and i would like to take this quote from 2:08:13 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 8 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony one of our he or pan-africanists and you all know him I have mentioned many times, Edward Wilmot Blyden. And you get Hubert H. Harrison from St. Croix. And I'd like to mention some contemporary, like Professor Gene Emanuel, you get to mention, and Lumumba Amin, a bedroom of mine, passed away. Those are Pan-Africanists to the max, to the high stature. But here what Blyden say, I'll show you, and this was written in the late 19th century, right? and he titled it African Power. How do you say this? We need some African power, some great center of the race where our physical and intellectual strength may be collected. We need some spot when such an influence may go forth in behalf of the race and shall be felt by the nations. we are now so scattered and divided that we can do nothing. 2:09:50 So long as we remain thus divided, we may expect imposition. So long as we live simply by the sufferance of the nations, we must expect to be subject in their caprice. That's blighting. And Malcolm X, another great Pan-Africanist, said this. I take quotes from my teachers, you know, Malcolm X in Kuma, you name them Marcus Garbi who was influenced by Hubert H. Harrison and Edward Blyden, the teaching of that two great Vorge Islanders influenced this great man, Marcus Garbi Malcolm X whose mother came from Grenada and she was a Garbiite here Malcolm X said, a strong African Black man will produce a respected black man anywhere that black man goes on this earth. 2:10:33 It is only with a strong Africa, an independent Africa and a respected Africa that wherever those of African origin or African heritage or African likeness go and will be respected. I'm tired looking at videos showing African people everywhere, Central and South America, Europe, the United States, the Caribbean, even in Africa. We are being abused everywhere. True. And I ain't talking conspiracy theory. It's documented. 2:11:30 So until Africa stand on its own two feet and controlling resources and use that for the development of Africans, those at home and those abroad. I'll just let you know, those in the African are over there, you know, we too. We didn't ask to come over here. We was kidnapped. You know, we were snatched from Africa, so those resources is all bought right. Until Africa stands in two feet, no African or black man, whatever you want call yourself, will be respected throughout the world. And when Africa stands as the United States of Africa, or UN Africa, watch out. We can get our reparation. It ain't just money, but other stuff, you understand? But Africa people, I just want to emphasize that in this Liberation Day, that it's something, it's our shining star thing, that's a theme that we see going around. 2:12:10 United Africa is our shining black star, our star of destiny. and it is and Marcus Garby put this the whole world is our village until Africa is liberated and it's not liberated the ism and schism that we know I'm not going to use it there because the youngsters won't understand and some people won't understand but they are alive and real and we know we can rise again and become strong as an African people and I close with that And I hope you get a message that in this time, we in the Virgin Islands, I'd like to practically say it, and agree with you, we have to fight for our self-determination. Despite what's going on in Washington or in this world, we as an African people have to fight for our self-determination. In VI history, the oldest form of our self-determination was those maroon society, those autonomous community in St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. Those maroon society was our seat for self-determination people. St. John, 1733, we seized power for six conservative months, right? And our ancestors say, we want an independent state. 2:13:02 They didn't say they want to integrate with the Danish. No, they say they want an independent state and one federation with St. John. And I leave it like that. So that spirit, people, and apparently, most of my family are from St. John. I just happened to be born over here, you know? That spirit that we must achieve our self-determination, you know? And me, God willing, with all my strength and so forth, wisdom and knowledge, we're going to fight for that day. When we African in the Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean, and elsewhere, it's liberated, and we really achieve independent sovereignty, right? 2:14:23 And the control over our destiny, especially the resources that these foreign countries and powers want to exploit us, you understand? And, oh yeah, did you say overstanding? that we understand, we understand that thing. Africa will rise, again. Say that, let's go, Africa will rise. Africa will rise. Again. Again. Africa will rise. Africa will rise. Again. Again. As the young people them say, a man la. 2:15:05 Yeah, yeah, yeah. A man la think me freedom in South Africa, okay? And let's give Mr. Olany a hand. And we just got joined by Senator Novo Francis, so we'd like to recognize him on the floor, too. Okay, we're getting ready to call Mary Paul, the storyteller, to the floor. And I know you're here. But so that you, I just did want to let you know that a lot of, you see a lot of white going around. 2:15:41 White is liberation color. And so you have to understand that it's what our Africans do. And so that goes. And Mary Paul, she has on her right. Let's go. The mic. Check the mic. Mic check. You ever had a neighbor that was kind, but not nice? 2:16:44 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 9 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony A what? Maybe you have them in a family. They're kind, but they're not nice. A neighbor. Well, this young lady had four children, and she had just such a neighbor. In fact, many neighbors to boot. live in a community very close like much of our communities here in the Virgin Islands and when you look over you could even see each other window I know my neighbor business because the house right there I could spit and touch the building so she had this neighbor who's kind but not nice and sometimes they a quarrel. This is the story. She would each inch in her home, and the neighbor would say, I see you. I see you left them children alone by themselves again. I don't tell you about that. Don't do that again, you know. And she would say, oh, something just stop minding my business, you little nosy, long-nosed, 30-foot old woman. Leave me alone. But the neighbor wouldn't leave she alone because she keep leaving her children alone she like to gallivant and so she kept going out gallivanting leaving the children at home and every time she come back the neighbor say i see you you were out late this time later than last time i don't tell you already stop leaving them children home alone so the third time well probably like this time i don't know how much time that was she come back went out partying she went out dancing baby jamba no imagination, I can't remember which one it was, but she went there, had a grand time, leave the churnum home again, and the neighbour say, I'm going to call the police on you, I'm going to call everybody on your backside, if you'll do that again, motherfucker, call them right now. So she say, I'm so tired of these people, they're so nosy, they're out of my business, I'm going to take up my money, I'm going to the countryside, and I'm going to live there with nobody in sight. So that's exactly what she do. 2:17:25 she moved countryside she looked to the left no neighbor she looked to the right what no neighbor as far as i can see no neighbor you think she was happy yes she said good i got galavant in peace i got a pile in peace and everybody will be fine so she tell her What's your name? Children, Minnie, Minnie, remember these names? Minnie, Minnie, Minnie Matilda, Minnie Poo, and Crocodile. I'm gonna teach you this song. 2:19:24 So when I go galavanting and I come back, when I open the door and I sing this song, you're gonna know it's me, okay? Let's learn the song. Minnie, Minnie, come here. Minnie, Minnie, come here. Minnie, Matilda, come here. Mini Matilda come here. Mini poo come here. Mini poo come here. But crocodile stay there. Crocodile stay there. Okay, so they sing the song. Yes, mommy, I learned the song now. Okay, Sharon, we're going to go, I'm going to go. You're going to be here, you're going to be fine. She went out of business and she sang the song to them. 2:19:57 They practiced and guess who was listening? All up in the corner was a wolf man listening. and he said that's going to be some easy pickings he went by the door knock knock knock Winnie Winnie come here Winnie Matilda come here Winnie Poo come here but crocodile stay there I said, that ain't my mother, that ain't my mother, we're going to open the door, that's not our mother. And then the wolfman said, oh, I have to do something about this. 2:20:32 So he went on to the blacksmith, far, far out from the country, and said, listen, hey, you hurry up, because you're going to have to hit my tongue, you're going to have to hit my tongue so hard. And the blacksmith said, hit your tongue? Why are you going to hit your tongue? My son, hit my tongue, back in there, hit my throat if you have to, just hit it hard. and so the black man said okay and hit the tongue and he got and he got his voice high pitch and he run back to the house let's sing mini mini come here mini matilda come here mini poo come here buck crocodile stay there and the children say mommy oh my god and they went and opened the door and the wolfman say hum hum hum and each year they might close the door man i too fully can't get another one i could not eat for a long time and went about his business who come back miss gallivanting mommy Winnie Winnie come here, Winnie Matilda come here, Winnie Pooh come here, but Crocodile stay there, Crocodile stay there, and she must sing the song three times, and her turnip in, come out, what are going on here, let me, let me try, let me try something different, Winnie Winnie come here. Winnie Matella come here. Winnie Pooh come here. 2:21:20 Crocodile come here. Crocodile come here. Me, me mommy, me mommy you calling? And crocodile went to the door, mommy you calling me? You calling me? Yes, where my three beautiful girls? Where are my three other children? Where are they? Well, mommy the wolfman come to the door and he is singing just like you, same pitch and voice and everything sound just like you shoulda open the door and you get it up. Oh my god, oh my god, she start a bawling, I shoulda never leave the tongue with my neighbors then. I shoulda never leave, I shoulda leave the nosy neighbors, watch my tyran now, I lose my tree, good-looking tyran. 2:23:01 so she take carbolic soap and she bathed a crocodile take oil on crocodile comb a crocodile hair and of course beautiful as ever what do you think she do move back to the town and say neighbor, neighbor, neighbor I'm so sorry can you watch my child for me as I go out and about and go buy you some bread the next guard mother, guard mother please watch my child for me or you're going gallivanting no I'm going gallivanting no more I'm just going to the store wheel band did you get it did you get a point who know the boy one person stay in community right all right Africa stay in community one more story we have one more time for one more story awesome my favorite favorite character is who bro Nancy that's all your favorite too right Well, on top of being a trickster, on top of all the things we know about him, trickster, he think 2:23:41 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 10 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony he's clever, all these things, he was very, very greedy and broke. So, this man, he get up, my son ain't get no money, and ain't got a thing to do, but he really goes, oh God, but I'm hungry, boy, I'm hungry. well i guess i'm gonna just have to steal today i mean it's not too bad i'm gonna go down by the farmer farmer joe and i'm just going to take a little something so he go down to the farm and he said oh them pigeon peas looking real good and there's so much of them i'm just going to take just one just the one little one so he my son that was good that's just one but take another and another and by the time he look out he belly's so full he said oh god eat up the whole man pigeon peas let me go out his farm boy he run away the farmer come down who take all my pigeon peas it's only about one person who take my pigeon peas you know I'll get him good. Second day, and Nancy come down, he see the tomatoes, the nice, round cherry, you know the grape and the cherry tomatoes, they're nice and sweet. The son, he pop one in his mouth, ooh, mm, refreshing. 2:25:10 Pop another one, mm, the son, Nancy had a good time, he even turned up and he touched it with his mouth, oh, he having a good time eating that tomato. By the time he look out, ah, the tomato, gone. He gone, but he business, I got to go, I got to go, I overdo this time again. So I'm going to come down, oh, my tomato then, my tomato and my pigeon peas. And so this time, Anansi said, I'm not over, I do it last two times. I'm going to go back in the daytime again. Now this time I'm going to go back in the nighttime. And so he went down, he stepped in quietly. I don't want to make too much noise, but, you know, nobody in here, so he ain't worried. 2:26:06 And what he see, some figure looked like a man. Ain't a farmer before you saw good night. You don't stand up there and don't say nothing and the figure Say nothing just to watch you so So Me and you wake up in the same bed? You going to say good night? You gonna say good night or what? And they just stay right there And Nancy say don't worry I guess I'm not gonna make your talk I guess something gonna make your talk and he slap ta baby and the hand stuck right there oh you like to hold my hand i got left hand and he hit ta baby again oh you're holding two hands my right hand my left hand i get a right foot and he kick ta baby and get stuck so oh i get something better for you and harder and he take his head and he hit ta baby and he get stuck foot hand foot and head and now who he here coming in the distance farmer joe and farmer joe come and he say farmer joe farmer joe i know i look like don't worry don't worry please take it easy on me and farmer just keep coming i get something for you but farmer joe oh god farmer joe you gonna pitch me in that tree over there farmer joe you gonna pitch me in a tree don't pitch me in the tree please farmer joe i don't want to go in the tree but i'm saying don't want to go in the tree and he pulled peel off and nancy and pitch him in the tree and when he landed the tree and that's he say i catch you good wheel band story end and that's where you see some spiders in the tree to this day thank you so much i am a ripoff we always like a good anansi story ashe 2:26:45 okay um right now we're getting ready for the echo people to do the heritage tribute yes greetings again ladies and gentlemen we are the echo people we echo the sounds of the diaspora east west and north and south of the entire planet these two next songs is original by me this first one is called queen mary the next one is called slavery. So we go. where you're going go bun queen mary where you're going go bun girl general budo where you're going go bun queen agnes where you're going go bun It was round the time of the labor act and me people had to react. Boy, Queen Mary, where you going go born? Queen Agnes, where you going go born, girl? General Bodo, where you going go born? General Bodo, where you going go bun? Don't ask me no question, what been done, been done? Queen Mary, where you going go bun? Queen Agnes, where you going go bun? General Bodo, where are you going to burn? Liberation, emancipation, right about now we get our freedom Queen Mary, where you going to burn? Queen Mary, where you going to burn, girl? General Bodo, where are you going to burn? 2:28:35 And I tell you, Queen Mary, where you're going? Queen Mary, where you're going, go bun, girl? General Bodo, where you're going, go bun? It was round the time of the labor act and the people had to react Boy, Queen Mary, where you going, go bun? 2:31:01 Queen Agnes, where you going, go bun? Queen Matilda, where are you going, go bun? Don't ask me no question, there's no way for your bun Queen Mary, where you going go on? Dingiddy wap, dingiddy wap, wap, wap, wap, wap. Dingiddy wap, dingiddy wap, dingiddy wap, wap, wap, wap, pam, pam, pam, pam, pam. Thank you. 2:31:41 This next one is called slavery. Pay attention to the words. Thank you. But I wanted to give you a compliment. You just called our ancestors totally out. give thanks this one is called slavery it was slavery it was slavery it was slavery it was slavery them things affected we psychologically mentally, and spiritually, but it was slavery, slavery, slavery, it was slavery, I can still see it in the descendant of the slave driver, I can still see it in my black brothers and sisters and kings and queens of africa it was slavery slavery slavery it was slavery some of us only want to hear about coco lily coco lily lily coco lily coco lily coco lily but it was slavery it was slavery it was slavery some people don't want to talk about no slavery Some say it's negativity But it's history 2:32:32 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 11 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony It is history About you and me It was slavery Leverry Leverry It was slavery I can still see it in the descendant of the slave driver I can still feel it and see it in my black brothers and sisters of Africa. It was slavery. Slavery. Slavery. It was slavery. Them things affected me psychologically, mentally, and spiritually. But it was slavery, slavery, slavery, it was slavery, tempting affected we, psychologically, mentally, and spiritually. It was slavery. It was slavery. It was slavery. It was slavery. Tell some of our history. About you and me. Some people don't want to hear us. It was slavery. But it was slavery. 2:34:29 They vary. They vary. It was slavery. Some people only want to hear about Coco Lili. Coco Lili, Lili, Coco Lili. Coco Lili, Coco Lili. Coco Lili, Coco Lili. Coco Lele, Coco Lele, Coco Lele, Coco Lele, but it was slavery, slavery, slavery. It was slavery It was slavery It was slavery It was slavery It was slavery It was slavery Ashe! 2:35:55 Ashe! Ashe! Ashe! Oh! Again, those are originals, okay? They are originals. Okay? Okay. One love. Ashe! I'm going to give the audience a quiz. You know the drums that are beaten? They're out of Africa, so you need to know the different drums. What is zimbe? And what is that one there? 2:36:54 That's a conga. That's a conga. And then you got a different type. You got a funde, you got a jimbe. and those are more like but the djembe is really out of West Africa this drum is what they use to send messages from mountains to mountains very much a part of our culture and when our ancestors got here and they got upset about the drums what did we turn into and what did we learn how to use Japan yes so that is just a little education for you to be able to know because you need to know how how we get the pan-african um to steal ban you mind if i say something go ahead and again we weren't allowed to play drums we weren't allowed to dance we couldn't do none of that once you get over here from africa were more than 11 million brothers and sisters abducted from africa and not just africa that was just the gold coast more west africa we talk in ghana benifasso um senegal nigeria one to the rest of africa imagine you know more than nine million people were abducted talking from their home they weren't just like hey let's go over there they took them just like people have come up to them and say hey uh three people just get abducted what about our more than 11 million people that was abducted forcibly brought over here placed into slavery when a person come over here and and was placed into slavery once they got to the caribbean is 10 years was the longest they slaved they didn't just um just had casual slavery like a servant they had brutal slavery chattel slavery that mean you walk from sunset to sundown from sun up to sundown you know but just to give a little bit of history and feel free other people i'm sure there are other individuals here who want to stress certain things and what happened to us we need to speak about these things Now is our time, Africa is rising. Please feel free. 2:37:24 Oh, that is serious. Yes. Okay, we're getting ready to do the... So I needed to double check if we needed to feel on the honoree, or you're dealing on that afterwards? The honorees. 2:39:28 No? Okay. All right, Tom, we're getting ready to do the raising of the flag, but before you come in, You can come in, but I'd like to give you just a little simple quiz. What are the colors of the flag and what do they mean? Speak up, speak up, speak up. Yes, and our people were trafficked here. because we were enslaved, but we were trafficked. 2:39:59 So right now we have the raising of the flag, the South African National Anthem Niko Sikilia, Africa, and okay, you all have to give me your names because I am not good at pronouncing all these different names. Shemalia. Shemalia. Nikisha Nikisha and Miss Shanika Hendrissy okay all right so we all have to stand the flag is going to be raised and they're going to be singing the God God bless Africa. Let's pray. 2:40:49 South Africa. And is the fraggle raised? Yes it is. It's going up. all right um so we have the flag raised we did a little quiz we know who we are and um where we're gonna go and the one thing that we do know until all areas of the diaspora and africa are free we still have to keep african liberation going Okay, and so my closing remarks is pay attention to your booklet because your booklet has some information in it that you need to know that is in there and we And we'd like to say special thanks to the Honorable Milton E. Potter, the fantastic Felicia Blake, Liba Ullini, the Pan-African Support Group, Echo People, Javon Otley, Karel A. Shinnery, I got that right, I don't know, Diane Cruz, Omar Hicks, Office of the Executive Director, Executive Facilities Division, Legislature, Public Affairs, Love Living, Malik Thomas, Mario Paul, Jason Meade Sr., Reverend Charles Brown, who's going to be coming on soon, 2:42:36 And CECO Cultural Group, Body Talk Wisdom Moves, Miss Lennonese Messer, and I always get your name wrong, Lidwyn Sewer Francis, Nikesha Amy, and Shamal Lee Penfeather. And let's give everybody a round of applause. for African Liberation Day. And the whole main thing that you need to know is our ancestor's strength is our strength. So always remember that. May the God who connects us with our ancestors be with us in this struggle. 2:44:46 may the road rise up to meet you may the wind be ever at your back may the sun shine warm upon each of your faces and the rain fall softly on your fields and until we meet again may Jehovah hold you in the hollow of his hand Asher And that concludes our program Let's drum our way out of here But ashe, ashe, ashe Thank you. We'll be right back. We'll be right 2:46:12 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 12 of 13 Legislature USVI · African Liberation Day Ceremony back. People named in this transcript SUSPECTED, and a finding aid only. Names were matched by machine against the spellings used across all 426 of our transcripts, and the title is the one used in the room. Being named here is NOT evidence that a person attended or spoke · only that the name was said. Speech recognition mishears names, so a spelling may be wrong even where no alternative is offered. 2x Senator Angel L. Bolques, Jr. heard in this transcript as: Angel Bulquez, Angel L. Bolques Jr. 2x Senator Carla Joseph 2x Senator Dwayne DeGraff heard in this transcript as: Duane DeGraf 2x Senator Marvin Blyden 2x Senator Novelle Francis heard in this transcript as: Novo Francis 2x Senator Ray Fonseca Bills and acts referred to Matched by number against our own acts corpus. The number is what the recognition heard, so it may be wrong; where it resolved, the title is the one the Legislature gave the act. Act 5473 Act 5473 · (title not held) Referred to but not found in our acts corpus: Bill 19-0049, Act 5708 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 13 of 13