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Yello BVI blasted for ‘inaccurate depiction’ of VI Festival
Another controversial topic that recently surfaced publicly is the issue of ‘Yello British Virgin Island’ posting a photograph on Facebook that persons in the community felt did not accurately depict the Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival.
The photo in question was of a smiling Caucasian woman with a large headdress of mostly blue feathers and the caption read: BVI Emancipation Festival.
Show some respect for the VI
Cindy Rosan-Jones, contributing to the social media discourse, said "according to Yello British Virgin Islands, this image represents BVI, BVI festival and BVI culture and imagine one of their hashtags is #weknowbvi."
She continued, "Please show some respect for the BVI, its history, heritage, culture and more importantly our ancestors."
This all stemmed from a social media post by Kareem-Nelson Hull, who found the image that was supposed to depict the VI Emancipation Festival as being “disrespectful” to the VI.
Mr Hull said sarcastically, "On behalf of BVIslanders everywhere (model included), I would like to thank the BVI Yellow Pages for this accurate photographic depiction of BVI Emancipation."
Mr Nelson Hull continued, "Well done Yellow Virgin Island -with no S on the end, look at you with your disrespect of our country's name too."
He also put a disclaimer in which he wrote: "I'm not saying that we don't have light skinned locals nor white locals, but from a PR eye....I blind to this."
Blunder or intentional?
Mr Hull's post garnered many comments from other persons on Facebook.
Lindsay Roberts said, "There are so many beautiful heritage dancers even the Miss BVI pageant competitors...beautiful BVI’ islanders to represent the BVI."
Ian Clark questioned why the public relations department of Yellow BVI was making so many mistakes.
"How do the PR departments of these companies keep making these huge blunders, crazy."
In response, Mrs Rosan-Jones commented. "These are not blunders, it’s intentional."
Meanwhile, the controversial photo was subsequently removed. This news site tried contacting Yello BVI for a comment but was unsuccessful.
According to the Yello BVI Facebook page, Yello is a full-service media business charting a new direction for advertising in the 21st Century. "We create relevant and accessible local content connecting consumers to the right customers," it stated.
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39 Responses to “Yello BVI blasted for ‘inaccurate depiction’ of VI Festival”
Is it any surprise that the BVI is the only jurisdiction where it is more expensive to fly away for festival than it is to fly in! Airlines are virtually giving away seats to EIS at the start of festival and from EIS at the end of festival - but they want huge prices to fly the other way around.
The time has come to abandon the idea of the BVI festival - let's go back to the Cane Garden Bay Music Festival (before the Government became involved).
White people are not allowed to celebrate festival?
Who arrived in the BVI first - it was not us that killed off the Caribs and Arawks!
This is the time we are celebrating freedom from slavery and you find it fitting to put another race who put our ancestors in slavery on your cover. That is very disrespectful. Please respect us in our country. We are proud, intelligent, and talented people. Don't try those things with us and think that we forget our history because we would never.
On this article though, clearly Yello have taken a picture from Rio carnival or somewhere similar. It was inappropriate and disrespectful and has been taken down. I hope they also make an apology.
The BVI has lost her identity and it shows at every level. We just love the image of our former slave masters. We love the image of the children they produced from raping our mothers and sisters.
Maybe next year we can do Asians and Philippines
Image is everything
Don't be fooled into thinking the opposite, and everyone with eyes can see distinct communities, living and interacting or lack thereof among the various groups living in the BVI.
The BVI today is a very segregated community and is getting worst. Just look around, observe, study and analyze growing community patterns. Did we create that reality? No!! The identical mentalities, living patterns and personal views on race were not left in their neighborhoods when they came here. They brought those racial, community and worldviews with them. Do we see them building next to us and mingling with us unless they are seeking something valuable from us, like our land?
There are some people of a different race and culture living here who are innately and inherently against living next to any local or person of African descent. There are many who hate us unequivocally just because of our beautiful many shades of brown hues, but loves our climate and laid back nature and kind hospitality we show them.
But they will never be inclusive with us because they do not know how or want to be.
Let the truths be told, even if it hurts a bit some, and let journalist narratives of truths never be censored or denied from public scrutiny.
BVI bloggers, you all have made us all so very proud on the stance demonstrated through your blogs in protecting, uplifting and respecting our ancestors, their, thus our heritage, culture and people.
It is a very fine moment in defense of our heritage, culture and defense of our beloved ancestors.
lastly, our islands are populated with some of the prettiest women of African descent in the world, with noses, lips. hips and many shades of beautiful brown hues to match.
Yo mean to tell deh couldn't fine one?
They are perhaps attempting to use pseudo journalistic tactics to prepare us for second coming of the Carib and Arawaks exterminators.
After all, images send powerful messages.