Keynote Address by

Hon. Natalio D. Wheatley

Premier of the Virgin Islands

24 November, 2024

Anniversary of the Great March of 1949

The Movement

A pleasant Good Day to everyone; I acknowledge the protocols already established.

The Territorial Song, composed by one of the organizers of this march, Kareem Nelson Hull and his sister Ayana, beseeches us to pray for three things, the last of which is understanding.  The song lyrics specifically asks for understanding for our children so they may cherish this legacy. 

Therefore, we gather here today resolute in our desire that our children and future generations yet unborn will cherish and never forget the legacy of Theodolph Faulkner, Glanny Fonseca, Carlton DeCastro, and the 1500, on their march of self determination.

The Great March of 1949 was THE single most transformational moment - and movement – in the modern history of the Virgin Islands.

It was successful because it achieved its main objective; that of restoring the legislative function back to the shores of the Virgin Islands in 1950 after an absence of 48 years. This paved the way for the people who reside on these islands to have the ability and authority to make the laws and govern their own affairs – with the exception of areas reserved to the Governor.

The events of 1949 set the Virgin Islands on a path to political, social and economic evolution and development. The Virgin Islands was elevated in status from a presidency to a colony and now to an Overseas Territory. There have been six constitutional arrangements for the government of the Islands since – and we are in the process of another constitutional review. The constitutional changes opened the way for persons of colour to vote and to hold elected office, and, later on, universal suffrage. They have led to the advancement from a legislative council to a House of Assembly, with even greater participation and political empowerment for the local population.

In the same vein, the constitutional changes over the years have led to the implementation of Ministerial Government in 1967, with our first Virgin Islands Chief Minister being appointed in the person of Hamilton Lavity Stoutt, and the transformation of that leadership role into the post of Premier as we have today. Ministerial Government led to financial autonomy, as, responsibility for finance being devolved to the territorial elected government.

The late Honourable Willard Wheatley recorded the first surplus budget in 1978, graduating us out of Grant in Aid. Territorial Governments since have raised our own revenue and managed our expenditures, investments and obligations since, developed and implemented policies, and driven development initiatives. This evolution has also driven the development of our institutions of government.

That has been the transformational effect of the Movement that surrounded the Great March of 1949. Simply put, the Virgin Islands that we know and love today; the development we see all around us today; the rights and privileges we enjoy today; and the lifestyle and quality of life we have today, would perhaps not exist without the movement that drove the Great March in 1949. We would have been living in a different reality.

The popular dictionaries define “a movement” as “a group of people who share the same beliefs, ideas, or aims.” The Global Fund for Women provides a more detailed definition that is suitable for our discourse today. It defines a movement as a group of people with a shared purpose who build collective power to create change. It notes that all of the rights we enjoy now have been won through movements throughout history. Movements can change the world by getting laws changed, passed and enforced; advancing social, political and economic justice for marginalized groups; and changing culture and how people behave.

We can easily think of the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and the impact it had on the rights of minorities in societies around the world. The feminist movement advanced the rights and freedoms of women, again throughout the world, in the workplace, the home and across many other areas in society. The Anti-Apartheid Movement liberated the black population of South Africa in the 1980s, as the Indian Independence Movement did for the people of India in the 1940s. More recently, we have witnessed the power of movements in such events as the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements.

Movements are said to have four main components or characteristics: a strong pipeline of leaders, solid partnerships, grassroots people power, and a shared political goal and plan for the future. In retrospect, we can see that our movement in 1949 had all of these elements.

According to our historical records, the Great Movement, if we can refer to it as such, had an esteemed cadre of leaders in the persons of Theodolph H. Faulkner, I. G. Fonseca and Carlton L. DeCastro, who led the march through the streets of Road Town to the office of Commissioner J. A. C. Cruikshank, to air the grievances of the residents. The element of grassroots support was very much present, as the procession numbered some 1,500 persons, at a time when the population of the Virgin Islands was under 7,000 people.

In terms of partnerships, these take the form of individual supporters and organized groups. Indeed, there were a few groups that had begun to form since the 1930s out of concern for the

quality of governance of the presidency – as governance of the Virgin Islands was done through the Leeward Islands Federation in which the Virgin Islands had little representation, and which was located in Antigua.

According to the account in the Virgin Islands Story by Norwell Harrigan and Pearl Varlack, Hope Stevens encouraged the formation of the Civic League, which attracted progressive thinkers like Howard Penn, Herman Abbott, Rufus DeCastro and David Fonseca. The Civic League was backed by the British Virgin Islands Pro-Legislative Committee of America. These would have provided support, advice and encouragement to the founders of the movement. They would have reminded the leaders that they do not stand alone, and therefore they have no reason to be afraid in taking their stand.

The shared political goal and plan for the future was summarized in the petition that the demonstrators presented to Commissioner Cruikshank, which read:

“We are imbued with a desire to decide our local affairs our own selves. We have outgrown that undesirable stage where one official, or an official clique, makes decisions for us… We are seeking the privilege of deciding how our monies are spent and what shall be our Presidential laws and policies.”

The goal was self-government; the right to participate in their politics and the management of their affairs, and it is clear that his goal had buy-in from a wide cross section of the population, because 1,500 persons turned out to march. It is also safe to say that the authorities of the day were convinced that they could not ignore this statement – as they had perhaps done on prior occasions. Remember, the disquiet about the quality of government had been brewing since before the 1930s, and the result of the Great March was the return of the legislature to the Virgin Islands.

All movements, and in particular the successful ones, have this same anatomy, and go through a similar life cycle. You just have to look at the great movements, some of which I have mentioned above. They start out with one person having a legitimate grievance over an issue and vocalizing that issue. Other persons, who are like-minded or who are also touched by the issue come forward, and a chorus of voices begins to grow. There are other influential individuals and groups that lend support and encouragement in different ways. The movement grows and builds momentum, until it is a force that cannot be resisted or ignored.

To appreciate the impact of the 1949 Great Movement, we would have to imagine what these islands and life on these islands would be had the legislative function not been restored as it was in 1950 and had continued to take place on foreign soil without the input of the local population. We must imagine what it would be like to not be able to participate in the democratic process of electing our representatives and our government. Consider what it would be like for other persons who know nothing about this place or our heritage, customs and traditions making and imposing decisions on us.

Whose interests would they have prioritized – ours or theirs?

Prior to the Great March, Virgin Islanders were second-class citizens in the system of government. Could we imagine our existence today if that had not changed?

Everything is not perfect today, because building a nation – a sustainable nation – is a work in progress.

However, I am sure that when we look back at how much has changed and what has been achieved in 75 years since the Great March, we can agree that we have come a long way, and we have been able to achieve a lot through our empowerment from that event.

We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Great Movement, and our brave and inspirational leaders who stood up, awakened the consciousness of the people, and provided leadership when it mattered. We also have a responsibility to pay it forward to our future generations of Virgin Islanders, so that they can realize the dreams that our fore parents had for us. Our responsibility also includes ensuring that young and upcoming Virgin Islanders understand our history, and the sacrifices and struggles that went into lighting the path for them.

It is important, also, that they understand that change starts with standing up for what you believe. You might be the first to stand up, but you may not be the only one. There is strength in numbers, and when people come together with a strong and united resolve, they can become a powerful movement that is capable of achieving great things.

In closing, I refer you to another quality that the Territorial Song tells us to pray for: which is courage. Courage for our leaders that they may rule our destiny.  Those who marched 75 years ago had courage. Even though the journey of self determination was new and unknown, they started the journey with courage.  They also had faith. Faith in their own God given abilities. Faith in their potential. Faith in the future! Faith in their God which guided them every step of the way.

They also knew the value of unity. Despite the corners of the Virgin Islands they came from, they united for a common cause, they rallied against a common injustice. They chose unity when division was easier, when inaction was easier.

May the Lord imbue us with these qualities for the work is not finished. The work of the Virgin Islands is not finished. There is still much to march for. There are still milestones to make on this journey of self-determination.

And to achieve all that our ancestors dreamed of; it is going to take a movement.

Thank you all who have organized this march; all who have marched; and all those who continue to believe in the cause.

God bless our feet as we walk the path of freedom, and God bless our beautiful Virgin Islands!