‘Freedom must be defended by every generation'- Hon Marlon A. Penn
Honourable Penn spoke at the opening ceremony of the 250th Commemoration of the Anniversary of Freedom of Nottingham Estate on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Stickit in Long Look. Penn, who is a direct descendant of the 25 who settled as a free people in Long Look, said every profession, every achievement, every success is another chapter written in the story of our ancestors that began over 250 years ago.
He asked those present to imagine what the 25 would have thought if they could see the accomplishments of their descendants who have become the Leader of the Opposition, Premier of the Virgin Islands, own businesses, educate generations, heal the sick, lead communities, and help govern the nation.
“Would they imagine that their story [would] still be told a quarter of a millennium later?”
Never mistake celebration for completion
Hon Penn added that the descendants of the original Long Look people are living the dream they did not have the opportunity to see fulfilled. He quickly reminded them that celebration should never be mistaken for completion.
“Their legacy is not simply something we inherit. It is something we must protect. For freedom is never permanently secured. It must be defended by every generation.”
Their ancestors, he said, understood that freedom meant more than removing chains; freedom meant owning land, building families, creating opportunities, educating children, standing together, lifting each other, and leaving something better for those who would come after.
“That remains our responsibility today. As the descendants of a Nottingham free people, we must continue to build communities where young people can dream without limits, where families remain strong, where opportunities are created, where our heritage is preserved, where unity triumphs over division, and where future generations will proudly say, ‘Our ancestors left us more than memories. They left us a foundation.’”
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11 Responses to “‘Freedom must be defended by every generation'- Hon Marlon A. Penn”
Yesterday ( 30 June 2026) was a public holiday in the Virgin Islands (VI) [British]. However, it is more than a regular/ordinary holiday for rest and recuperation. It is a historic day. It is the Sestercentennial ( 250 years) commemoration of the self-manumission of 25 slaves in the Village of Long Look, Tortola, VI, on 30 June 1776. This freedom is historic, for it was the first in freedom, establishing the oldest free black community of slaves in the hemisphere, preceding the UK’s 1833 Abolition Act on 28 August 1833, taking effect on 01 August 1834; US’ Emancipation Proclamation on 01 January 1863. What is the importance of self-manumission?
Moreover, the innate nature of man is to be free. John Locke: “ All men are born free under the laws of nature, possessing inherent rights to their own lives and liberty independence…..” Jean -Jacques Rousseau: “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” “ To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man.” Abraham Lincoln : “ No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.” Thomas Jefferson, third President of the US, and slave owner: “ All men are created equal.”
Further, German Philosopher Georg Hegel : “ The one who values liberty more than life become the MASTER; the one who values life more than liberty becomes the SLAVE.” Charles Darwin theory of National Selection presented in his 1859 book Origin of the species, classified Blacks at the bottom of human species.
The colonialists conquered and colonized far away lands, believing falsely that it was The White Man ‘s burden to civilize indigenous people, along with the enslaved whose role/purpose was servile, generating wealth and providing for their masters comfort. Rudyard Kipling capture the supposed burden in a poem called “ The White Man’s Butden ( 1899).
Moreover, the Long Look 25 yearned restlessly to be free with rights , the blessings of liberties, etc, prefering liberty, refusing to be put in any box(s) or being tagged with labels, inferior complexes, etc, attaining self-manumission . Demonstrating signature Virgin Islander rugged individualism, the Long Look 25 worked the land, built the community, etc., setting the example, paving the way for follow-on generations.
Today, their descendants have contributed and are contributing immensely to the economic, social, political, cultural, etc, growth and development of the VI. Writ large, their descendants have and are serving in the highest positions, eg., Premier, etc, in the VI and are contributing and making their presence felt abroad. It is up to current generations to continue the journey, effecting a smooth passing of the baton to the next generation (s).