London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

2021 Emancipation Service to be held virtually on August 1

2021 Emancipation Service to be held virtually on August 1

Emancipation Service 2021 in the Virgin Islands (VI) will be held virtually this year to ensure that people continue to remain safe during COVID-19.
According to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), in a press release from the Government Information Service, this year’s service will reflect the VI's ancestral history and emancipation story. In addition, a special remembrance will be held for those who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus.

“Now more than ever, the Virgin Islands must continue to unite in the strength of prayer and purpose. We must continue to remember the strength of our ancestors and for parents who, like us, went through similar experiences and they always came together, unified for the Virgin Islands, and our action must be no different.”

The annual Emancipation Service will be held on the first Sunday in August. The service which will be held virtually and will include remarks by Minister Wheatley and Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie. There will also be tributes and presentations from various churches as well as original pieces from the Virgin Islands Poet Laureate, Dr. Richard Georges; writer and researcher, Eugenia O’Neal and singer/songwriter, Mr. Jovan Cline.

The sermon for the day will be given by Senior Pastor of the Cane Garden Bay Baptist Church and Chairman of the Virgin Islands Heritage Month Committee, Reverend Dr. Melvin A. Turnbull.

Director for Culture, Dr. Katherine Smith said, “It was heartwarming to witness the spirit of compassion with which the churches and participants in our virtual Emancipation Service 2021 are giving of their time and talents.”

She added, “This special remembrance ceremony will be held in honour of those who have passed due to the COVID-19 virus even as the commemoration of our ancestors remains the reason for this virtual service.”

To ensure the health and safety of persons in the Virgin Islands during this time where the Territory is experiencing a COVID-19 spike, the Festival and Fairs Committee has cancelled the Emancipation Celebration events except for the Emancipation Service. More information will be provided at a later date on the Miss BVI pageant.

The public is invited to tune in to the Emancipation Service on Sunday, August 1 at 3:00 p.m. The service will be streamed on the Government of the Virgin IslandsFacebook page (@BVIGovernment) and ZBVI Radio.

The Emancipation Service is held every year on the first Sunday in August and celebrates freedom from colonialism and slavery through prayer and worship. The following first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are holidays to celebrate the history and culture of the people with different activities ranging from musical and talent shows, to cultural displays of food and games. On August 1, 1834, the Emancipation Act saw the abolition of slavery from Britain.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
×