Time to banish 'Sir Francis Drake' from VI history books - Skelton-Cline
"We must remove them from the history books of our curriculum as heroes and sheroes when they were full participants in the subjugation, in the oppression, in the terrorisation of a people simply by their skin colour," he said on the July 7, 2020, edition of his show on ZBVI 780am.
"Things like the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a known slave trader, a man who terrorised this country, territories across South America, terrorised across the Caribbean, and we hold him up as a hero and he's not a hero," he said.
VI named after murders & thieves - Cromwell Smith
Skelton-Cline's comments echo those made by another radio host, Cromwell Smith aka 'Edju Enka' in January 2020, on the same radio station.
“All the places that we have is named after these murderers and thieves," Smith told the listening audience on an episode on his Umoja show Thursday, January 9.
His comments came after his guest expressed displeasure over the names, “we talk about young people and what we expect from them… but look at our historical places in the BVI... Blackburn highway etc… these men were pirates, there’s nothing good about a pirate,” guest Ken Boynes uttered.
End Territory Day celebrations - Skelton-Cline
Skelton-Cline also called for the ending to Territory Day celebration in favour of a 'Virgin Islands Day'. "We are not a territory, we need to reject the names that have been ascribed to us as a corporate body and celebrate who we really are as Virgin Islanders."
He said names like Sir Francis Drake should be banished from VI's curriculums. "He is not the kind of name that should be spoken of, taught of, in our schools in any beneficent way. We must call these people out for who they are."
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69 Responses to “Time to banish 'Sir Francis Drake' from VI history books - Skelton-Cline”
Brushing under the carpet and pretending things didn’t happen is ridiculous.
Spend your time on something g productive.
Conspired to blow to pieces innocent people yet we prefer to
Celebrate his positive contribution.
Erasing Sir Francis Drake
Is like the nazis burning books.
Accept we are all complicated.
That’s what being an adult teaches us.
Let me a non church goer explain your faith to you. Ephesians 6:5, “Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would show to Christ.
”Timothy 6:1, “All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honour, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.”
You follow me preacher? The hate you spew is on the very book you cherish given to you by your masters long ago to subjegate and control and its still working.
So to be clear get rid of Lettsome, Skelton, Smith, Wheatley, Potter, and all the rest of the names that are linked.....you need to get your a$$ back state side where the hatred is real.
changed to an African name that no one can pronounce. These guys need to understand that slavery was a two way street, blacks were hunted, caught and SOLD BY BLACKS in Africa to Arabs and Whites. When will they start blaming the countries in Africa for the wrong done to the slaves they sold.
so as @ clear says...do we have to get rid of our namesakes aswell.?
come on Mr. SC.
save your energy for uncovering all of the major fraud and embezilement from past government please
We need to rename everything else as well. Jost, Peter, Bellamy, Gorda, Spanish Town, Smuggler's. They should all be woked up and named after indiginus virgin islanders. How about change Jost to Eileen van Parsons? ONe cultural icon meets another.
Along with many other parts of the world, we share an unfortunate and often destructive history of colonialism. I agree that we need to recognise our own heroes but, if we take away the story of Ken Bates, we take away the importance of what Noel Lloyd did. Heroes are heroes because of what they dare to say and do in the context of their own time and space. We can't/shouldn't seek to wipe out the names of those who did us wrong; instead, we need to tell our own story and help our children to understand why and how the events of history happened, how we overcame/are overcoming, and what needs to happen so that history does not repeat itself, even in subtle ways.
We are much better to leave the past alone and recognise the lessons learnt for the future.
Cline is so r**** for so call man of God. So does read the part in the bible about forgiveness.
They are no heroe in any way. Those three women who started the "Fireburn" are heroines. Those who stood up to the bs they were trying in Wickhams Cay in the 1950s are heroes
"Emancipate your minds from mental slavery" my VI People.