Slaves that were slated to go to the mainland were promised 40 acres and a mule. Some were lucky to receive this promise, others were not. Caribbean slaves were dropped off on some of these barren lands such as Anguilla, to cultivate the soil. Majority of what was reaped was sent back to Europe to feed and sustain the slave owners and their families back in Europe. Our ancestors toiled these lands until their hands and feet bled and more so their hearts and souls. At some point in history, every race has been enslaved, but they have also recovered from not forgetting their past, from people and nations helping them to recover their dignity, and continuously educating themselves and youths. Although Anguillians were oppressed people at one point in our history, we managed to strive for excellence, dug deep for courage to survive, and exemplified ambition that not many other Caribbean islands has displayed. Many have witnessed their parents toiling over the grounds and vouched to never have them live or work like that again, but in that transformation we have forgotten key values that helped mold us as a people and earn what we had or have today.
Some were promised 40 acres and a mule, but we were blessed to be able to inherit, buy, or acquire this land from our slave owners that brought us here to work it. Therefore, we are blessed people. Now we have lost large amounts of it and will lose more if we don’t start educating our people, and providing more jobs besides Construction and Tourism employment. We have potential Doctors, Lawyers, Scientist, Boat Builders etc. in our schools but they just need the opportunity to prove themselves. Anguillians have produced some of the smartest people in the Caribbean and took a long time to establish a Tertiary program for our people and youths. Almost every other Caribbean island that we were leaps and bounds ahead of has beaten us to the punch and has implemented such programs before us. We have failed our people and its time we make changes for the future, and demand that the politicians pave this road for our youths. We are losing ground daily, prime example, all the force sales of land that is eminent because of the market collapse in 2008. This opens the doors for outside investors to come in and buy land cheap and have a larger stake hold in something that was once ours. It is time we wake up and stop this Crab in the Barrel Syndrome or rather the Willie Lynch Syndrome.
Stop searching in the past for memories of who wronged your family and search for ways and solutions to keep and regain what we once had. Then build upon it for future generations to come. It is outlandish that we fight for Anguilla to remain AS IS, and starve our people mentally and physically in order for foreigners to come in and create and develop the same atmosphere you claim you were protecting Anguillians from. OPEN YOUR EYES ANGUILLIANS!!! It seems to me that instead of squeezing the crabs’ eye to let go of your fingers, the crab is squeezing your eyes and keeping your hands closed. It’s time we wake up as a people and stop leaving outsiders dictate our future. It is time we demand change and progress from our leaders or send them on an early vacation or retirement. WE DEMANDED CHANGE DURING THE REVOLUTION, SO IT’S TIME WE DEMAND IT AGAIN. Don’t be afraid!! Wake up my people!!!
DON’T WANT YOUR VOTE, SO NO SUGAR COAT
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
