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Noel Lloyd & Positive Action Movement
Over the weekend, I read the following article with interest, disgust, and joy: Positive Action Movement: ‘When Ken Bates Took Over His Homeland In 1968, Noel Lloyd Led The Fight To Take It Back’ written by Moscowhite 0n 06 June 2012. It is a powerful, informative, and worthy read.
The article was about a horrific, revulsive, one-sided agreement between Kenneth Bates-Hill and the Virgin Islands (British) government. The contract was so awful that it made a bad contract(s) appear reasonable. It fleshed out the bits and pieces that people have been throwing around about the Kenneth Bates-Hill agreement and Noel Lloyd and PAM’s reaction to it over the decades. I had somewhat of a front-row seat to PAM’s action, witnessing the march on Government House, hearing about the takeover of the Road Town Police Station, witnessing the rollout of construction on Wickham Cay, hearing about the medivacing of Noel Lloyd to Jamaica.
The following are my thoughts on the sordid agreement.
Priceless Debt of Gratitude
Virgin Islanders owe national hero Noel Lloyd and the Positive Action Movement (PAM) a deep and priceless debt of gratitude for their timely, bold, unprecedented, and extraordinary actions. They are all national heroes and fearless warriors. Through their persistent agitation, activism, advocation, nationalism, unselfish, sacrificial, and direct actions, they were able to grab Wickham Cay+4/5 of Anegada (intended giveaway for an unbelievable 199 years) from the massive, tight, and ably assisted jaws of Kenneth Bates-Hill, a UK company. This agreement was a lose-lose (Virgin Islanders had no one at the table negotiating on their behalf) for the VI and its people, disrespecting, disparaging, exploiting, insulting, etc., the people of the Virgin Islands (British).
PAM Fighting for VI Interest
Moreover, PAM’s aggressive action representing and looking out for the VI people’s interest and well-being was instrumental and the driving force in kickstarting negotiations to rescind the giveaway, one-sided and abominable agreement. The PAM Tsunami drove the key players together, i.e., Kenneth Bates-Hill, Administrators, and Commission of Enquiry (COE), to the table.
The COE was reluctantly launched to investigate the horrific agreement.
Commission of Enquiry
Nonetheless, dissatisfied with the COE’s conclusions (it seemed as if the fix, the whitewashing may have been on), the Government of the VI actively delved into negotiations with the Anegada Development Company, and the Wickham’s Cay Company to buy out their contractual interest (The Virgins: A Descriptive and Historical Profile by Drs Pearl Varlack and Norwell Harrigan).
Ultimately, the UK loaned the VI $5.8M to buy out Kenneth Bates-Hill’s contractual interest. Without the Tsunami action of PAM and the buyout, outsiders, i.e., Kenneth Bates-Hill and external investors, would have controlled Wickham Cay and the lion share (approx 80% + of the best land) of Anegada, pushing Anegadians, perhaps, into a reservation typesetting in their homeland
Virgin Islanders Benefit
As noted, the agreement was a lose-lose for the Virgin Islands and its people with a significant, warped, and perhaps corrupted advantage to Kenneth Bates-Hill. This agreement was one-sided, so it begs who else off the books and under the table would have indirectly benefitted. As it were, Virgin Islanders’ only benefit would have been as workers, i.e., carriers of water and hewers of wood in an apartheid-style development in their homeland. Shameful! On the other hand, Kenneth Bates-Hill, per the agreement, would have paid a maximum of $30,000 rent for the 199-year term of the contract.
Further, Kenneth Bates-Hill would also pay no taxes on profit, income, and capital for the 199-year term of the contract. For more depressing and vexing details on the agreement, I strongly recommend perusing the Muscowhite article. Kenneth Bates-Hill, aided by the privilege of colonialism, was on track to building an empire. Nevertheless, due to PAM’s action, Virgin Islanders now own and operate various thriving businesses on Wickham Cay, and Anegadians have freehold titles to land on Anegada.
UK Government/Crown Actions
Further, it is essential to note that at the signing of the lose-lose, abominable, epic, 199-year giveaway lease, the UK-appointed Administrators (J.S. Thompson and M.S. Staveley?) controlled VI's finances, not the local government. Ministerial government was ushered in 1967 and the iconic Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was sworn in as first Chief Minister. Seemingly, perhaps, Administrators J.S. Thompson/ M.S. Staveley and Kenneth Bates-Hill huddled and primarily negotiated the horrible, epic giveaway; Virgin Islanders had no one at the table to defend and look out for their interest. And, eventually, the responsibility for finance transferred to local government in either the late 70s or early 80s under the Dr Willard Wheatley administration. The VI has been self-supporting ever since the transfer.
Colonial & Neocolonialism
This sordid situation reflects colonialism’s vicious exploits and benefits to the ruling class in the Mother country; it was an exploitive and extractive institution. Colonialism may be slowed, but neocolonialism is active. Be vigilant and aware of the mirages. Virgin Islanders should stay focused, engaged, and keep their eyes fully on the prize and avoid putting their full faith and trust in others. They must be wary of neocolonialists, the new colonialists, and trust but verify. PAM’s action demonstrates the value of unity and collective responsibility in forging positive outcomes and change. Unity is strength, and if Virgin Islanders act with a common purpose, they can chart the new course they demand, desire, and expect. However, change will not come gift-wrapped on a platinum platter. The way forward for the VI entails proper planning, effective execution, responsibility, accountability, struggles, and sacrifices. Frederick Douglass (1857): If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
Primary & Secondary School/ PAM Legacy
PAM’s action should be an integral part of the territory’s Primary and Secondary schools’ curriculum. The legacy of PAM should be celebrated and visible outside of just a small park on Wickham Cay. PAM should be a key feature at next year’s National Heroes and Foreparents holiday, which replaced St Ursula’s holiday. Moreover, Noel Lloyd’s image should be prominently displayed at entrances to Wickham Cay; the road should be named or renamed Noel Lloyd Lane, Road, or Boulevard. His image should also be displayed at ports of entry(s) and other places on Anegada. PAM was a successful and effective organisation that fought and engaged gallantly in combat for Virgin Islanders’ interest. It is a shame that it is now just a tiny footnote in history. Noel Lloyd, Walter’ Lindy/Ras Uhuru’ de Castro, Donald Donovan, George ‘Pig Mouth’ Malone, Vernon Farrington, Wilfred Smith, Oliver Skelton, Glanville Blyden, Alford Hodge, Louella Harrigan, Clement Vanterpool, among others, have been called home to rest. Still, PAM, its noble purpose, and its legacy should live on in perpetuity. Is PAM reunion and relaunch in the offing?
Noel’s Honor
In Mark 6:4, “But Jesus said unto them, a prophet is not without honour, but in his own country and among his own kin, and in his own house.” Noel and Positive Action Movement fought heroically, bravely, and gallantly with great personal sacrifices to protect and preserve Virgin Islanders’ interest in Wickham Cay and Anegada. Yet some fellow Virgin Islanders treated Noel Shabbily. They treated him with disdain and scorn, ostracised and stigmatized him, and even labelled him crazy. Why? Noel, though an intellectual, was not from the supposedly elite, upper class, and power structure in the Virgin Islands. He was a country boy.
Moreover, Noel and PAM’s action disrupted the elitists’ plan of action, motives, and goals. The dreadful, lose-lose, difficult to fathom giveaway of the Wickham Cay and Anegada agreement was moving along smoothly until it collided head-on with Noel Lloyd and PAM buzz saw. And though the VI government recognized Noel for his distinguished and exemplary contributions to the territory, yet he must have died a broken, dispirited, disappointed soul. Nonetheless, his legacy lives on with a permanent imprint on the VI community, taking his place in history among the pantheon of VI national heroes.
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18 Responses to “Noel Lloyd & Positive Action Movement”
Sadly thou, we should have used this moment as a spring board to push us forward, I saw Bates Hill physical plans very nice indeed, we should have use his plans to developed Wickham Cay for ourselves and we would not have had most of the problems we have today. If we had learnt our lessons well from this saga the bvi would have been much better off today, too much greed and selfishness, look at all thoes monies that pass through governments hand from that time till now, we are still trying to fix problems from that time, that is not UK problem its our neglect as a people. It appears we never learned nothing from the achievement and sacrifice of those noble soldiers.
[Let’s lead like eagles, not careened off the cliff as Buffaloes]
The quest to exploit locals and build wealth started with robbing the islands of limited precious metals, exploiting slaves and free slave labour to build wealth through agricultural production, ie, sugar, cotton, tobacco etc. And with the decline of agriculture, the shift was to the hospitality industry. Colonialism has always been about domination and exploitation.
As such, Kenneth Bates with the help of crown found the BVI as an easy prey to exploit. He pounced on it. The one-sidedness of the agreement strongly suggests, perhaps, a full and willing complicity among the negotiators. It is either that those acting on behalf of the BVI were buffoons with Kenneth Bates having them eating out of his hands or the fix was in from the start.
Regardless, it was a total disaster for the BVI and its people. The BVI was robbed blind in plain daylight with eyes opened. On second thought, the interest of the BVI and its people was sold by one colonialist to another colonialist. Did Derek Skyway and Commission of Enquiry (COE) explore the possibilities of collusion and if no, why not? No credible investigator looking seriously at the agreement could not conclude that something clearly was out of the ordinary and suspicious. Nonetheless, the COE seemed to have whitewashed the investigation. So much so that the FCO could not fully endorsed the conclusions and findings.
Moreover, it seems as if the local government was in a slumber through the developing and rolling out the agreement. It was awoken from its slumber during the in take phase of the COE.
However, Noel Lloyd and PAM was fully awake and onto what Kenneth Bates and the colonialists were up to—-robbing the BVI and its people of their heritage and robbing current and future generations of the use, benefit and quiet enjoyment of the islands. They fought like hell to right the wrongs perpetrated by colonialists. They won the battle and the BVI owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Nonetheless, the colonialists/colonialism war is still raging. The BVI needs to be vigilant.
I can assure you of of one thing by 1969 Ken Bates hated Lavity Stout
He saw him as difficult and obstructive I listened to him raging about Lavity Stout