>>> WE HOPED YOU ENJOYED YOUR 2021 EMANCIPATION DAY.

I AM VERY EXCITED THAT YOU ARE JOINING US FOR THIS COMMEMORATIVE PANEL ON VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AS WE EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE, CULTURE, IDENTITY, POWER AND FREEDOM IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, I´M PLEASED TO BE YOUR MODERATOR THIS EVENING.

I AM THE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF ST. JANCO, THE ST. JOHN HERITAGE COLLECTIVE AND ALSO A RESEARCH FELLOW IN THE AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY.

TO BEGIN I´D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS PANEL POSSIBLE.

THIS EVENT WAS ORGANIZED BY ST. JANCO WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE VERGE ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FRIENDS OF THE PARK INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR INVITING US TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY MATTERS SERIES.

THIS PROGRAMMING RECEIVED A NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES FUNDED GRANT FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

I´D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE INCLUDING THE STAFF HERE AT WTJX FOR BRINGING THIS CRITICAL DISCUSSION TO LIFE.

I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY OUR PANELISTS, DR. GILBERT SPROW, DR. CLEMENTE WHITE AND MR. McMILLEN.

DR. GILBERT IS A MONUMENTAL SCHOLAR CREOLE EDUCATOR AND FOLKLOREST.

DR. SPROW IS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS.

DR. CLEMENTE WHITE IS THE SON OF MARJORY WHITE STEVENS.

DR. WHITE LEARNED HIS B.A.

AND M.A.

FROM PENN STATE UNIVERSITY AND RECEIVE HIS Ph.D. FROM BROWN UNIVERSITY WHERE HE SPECIALIZED IN LATIN-AMERICAN LITERATURE.

HE WAS A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND HE IS CURRENTLY A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND.

DR. WHITE AUTHORED SEVERAL BOOKS AND ARTICLES INCLUDING -- A CASE FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE THEN AND NOW.

MR. McMILLEN WAS BORN AND RAISED ON ST. CROIX.

HE´S THE GRANDSON OF STANLEY JACOBS AND A COUSIN OF -- JACKSON THEREBY HAVING HISTORY COURSING THROUGH HIS VEINS.

HE´S A GRADUATE OF SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY WHERE HE EARNED A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND A BACHELOR OF OF ARTS AND SCIENCES.

HAVING PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS OF POETRY.

I´D LIKE TO THANK EACH OF THE PANELISTS AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US TODAY.

ON JULY 3rd THE PEOPLE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CELEBRATED EMANCIPATION DAY, AND WE ARE CONTINUING THIS COMMEMORATION WITH THIS EVENING´S PANEL.

IN THE MID-´19th CENTURY A REBELLION AGAINST SLAVERY TOOK PLACE ON THE ISLAND OF ST. CROIX THEREBY LEADING GOVERNOR PETER VAN SHULTEN TO EMANCIPATE THE PEOPLE.

IT WAS WON BY UPSET GOVERNOR SHULTEN´S PLAN TO GRADUALLY ABOLISH SLAVERY IN THE INITIAL WEST INDIES.

INSTEAD THIS MOVEMENT CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE EMANCIPATION RATHER THAN THE GRADUAL 12-YEAR PLAN GENERALLY PROMISED TO FREE THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE.

AND FORMULATING THIS PLAN I WAS INSPIRED BY MY PARTICIPATION IN AN EMANCIPATION DAY PLAY.

IT WAS AN ANNUAL EVENT LIKE MANY OTHER FORMS OF CELEBRATIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WHERE WE COMMEMORATE THE EMANCIPATION DAY WITH WORKS OF ART AND SONG AND DANCE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I ABSOLUTELY ENJOY ABOUT MY PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAY WAS ESSENTIALLY THE ELOQUENT AND SKILLFUL USE OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN THE SCRIPT.

THE PLAY PUSHED ME TO THINK MORE ABOUT HOW WE AS VIRGIN ISLANDERS LEVERAGE LANGUAGE TO REMEMBER OUR FREEDOM FIGHTERS AND TO ASSERT OUR IDENTITY AS CARIBBEAN PEOPLE AND A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY WHO ARE CURRENTLY COLONIZED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

MY EXPLORATION OF THIS TOPIC IS SUPPORTED BY DR. VINCENT COOPER, GILBERT STROW AND CLEMENTE WHITE´S WORK AS WELL AS CONVERSATIONS WITH McMILLEN AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF ANOTHER YOUNG VIRGIN ISLANDER WITH A PENDING THESIS AT UCLA IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.

AMONGST THE DISCUSSION WE´LL MEDITATE ON A SET OF QUESTIONS REGARDING LANGUAGE, FREEDOM AND CULTURE, SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS A LANGUAGE AND HOW CAN WE AS VIRGIN ISLANDERS CONTINUE TO MAKE A CASE FOR RECOGNIZING VIRGIN ISLAND CREOLE AND ITS LEGITIMACY AS A PART OF OUR FREEDOM PROCESS AS WELL AS ASKING TONIGHT´S PANELISTS TO MEDITATE ON A FEW QUESTIONS?

HOW DOES VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE SHAPE OUR POLITICAL IMAGINARIES AND HELP US TO REMEMBER OUR IDENTITIES, HISTORIES AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE GIVEN OUR POLITICAL STATUS?

DR. WHITE CITES A KENYAN WRITER´S STATEMENT AND I QUOTE, LANGUAGE IS THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY BEGS OF A PEOPLES EXPERIENCE IN HISTORY.

CULTURE IS INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE LANGUAGE THAT MAKES THIS GENESIS GROW ARTICULATION AND INDEED IT´S TRANSMISSION FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT, END QUOTE.

TONIGHT WE´LL EXPLORE THIS NEXUS BETWEEN LANGUAGE, CULTURE AND IDENTITY.

AND EACH PANELIST WILL PROVIDE THEIR REMARKS.

WE´LL HEAR FIRST FROM OUR SENIOR SCHOLAR, AND THEIR REMARKS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THAT OF MR. McMILLEN WHO WILL SPEAK ON WHY AND HOW HE USES VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN HIS WRITING.

WE´LL THEN GO TO Q&A FROM THE AUDIENCE.

SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR QUESTIONS ON FACEBOOK AND/OR CALL US AT 340-018-3339.

THANK YOU AND I´LL THEN PASS THE MIKE TO DR. GILBERT.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I THINK IT´S VERY FITTING THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM TONIGHT THAT REALLY REPRESENTS THE FREE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

AND THIS YEAR IS ABOUT CULTURE AND LITERATURE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

SO WE REPRESENT ALL THREE ISLANDS.

AND I THINK IT´S VERY FITTING THAT ST. JOHN IS INVOLVED IN PROMOTING AND PUTTING FORWARD THIS PROGRAM THROUGH WTJX.

I BELIEVE THE TOPIC IS A FITTING ONE.

AND I´LL FIRST POINT OUT THAT IN TERMS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND CREOLE WE´RE GOING TO BE CONCENTRATING ON TONIGHT, WE´RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IT´S NOT A MONOLITH.

IT HAS ITS ST. THOMAS, ST. JOHN VERSION.

THE PEOPLE FROM ST. JOHN AND PARTICULARLY THE PEOPLE FROM NORTHEAST OF ST. THOMAS.

AND ST. CROIX HAS ITS OWN VERSION.

WE CAN´T MAKE FUN OF EACH OTHER AND WE LIKE TO TEASE THE HERE AND THERE.

SO I SETUP THE BACKGROUND AS WE START DISCUSSING.

I´LL TALK ABOUT LATER THE MORE ANECDOTAL SKETCHES AND HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH EACH OTHER AS A PEOPLE.

>> AM I ON?

AM I OKAY?

>> YES, YOU ARE.

>> FIRST, I WANT TO SAY GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU DOCTOR AND THE ST. JOHN HERITAGE COLLECTIVE FOR THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.

I´M SO HAPPY FOR ALL THE ASSISTANCE I RECEIVED FROM MR. KYLE DAVIS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

MR. McMILLEN, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I MET YOU BUT I CAN TELL YOU ARE A RISING STAR.

AND TO THE LISTENING AUDIENCE LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, WELCOME.

RECENTLY IN A CONVERSATION SOMEONE SAID TO ME -- IN OTHER WORDS THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF ACRIMONIOUS RESPONSE BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.

AN INDIVIDUAL MAKING AN ASSUMPTION IS SOMEONE LIVING IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS FOR MANY YEARS, PEOPLE WE LIKE TO CALL OUTSIDERS.

FIRST, SUCH MOMENTS INDICATE OR SUGGEST THE GAP WE NEED TO FILL IN THE PROCESS OF EDUCATING OUR PEOPLE INCLUDING OURSELVES MAYBE ESPECIALLY OURSELVES.

I FIND SUCH MOMENTS TO BE OPPORTUNISTIC TEACHING MOMENTS.

SECONDLY, WHY WOULD I BECOME FLUSTERED AND FRUSTRATED BY A COMMENT THAT IS EQUALLY PREVALENT IN A COMMUNITY THAT WE CALL -- WE´VE BEEN MANAGING FOR GENERATIONS OUR SPEECH.

DESCRIBING CREOLE FOR EXAMPLE AS CRUDE AND RAW AND BROKEN AND CORRUPT.

YOU SOUND SO STUPID.

YOU BANISH OUR LANGUAGE TO A PROFESSIONAL GUTTER.

THEIR CONCOCTED NOTIONS OF AMERICANIZED CREATION.

IT CONNOTES A LACK OF EDUCATION, OF MISEDUCATION.

GROWING UP I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WAY I SPEAK AND NORMALITY.

BUT WE SHOULD KNOW THAT SPEAKING OUR CREOLE SHOULD NEVER BE A BAROMETER FOR MORALITY.

IF YOU ARE BOLD ENOUGH LIKE WE ARE DOING THIS EVENING TO EVEN USE THE TERM -- OUR FORM OF SPEECH IS REDUCED.

OUR PRONOUNCEATION AND ENUNCIATION IS EMBARRASSING AND ATROCIOUS.

AND YOUR GRAMMAR SURPASSES THAT IN ITS BARBARITY.

IT´S NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE OURSELVES DISCERN SOME ABNORMALITY WHEN WHEN WE SPEAK BUT SOMEONE HAS CONVINCED US OF THE SECOND CLASS NATURE OF OUR LANGUAGE, SUBVERTED TO FEELING NEGATIVE INTERPRETATION WOULD BE A MAJOR STEP IN DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF LANGUAGE.

WE´RE ACTUALLY TALKING HERE ABOUT IDEOLOGY.

IDEOLOGY WHICH IS LONG, UNFORGIVING.

IDEOLOGY IS, QUOTE, THE REPRESENTATION OF THE IMAGINARY RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE REAL CONDITIONS OF EXISTENCE, END OF QUOTE.

IN OTHER WORDS, IDEOLOGY HAS ITS MATERIAL EXISTENCE.

IT LIVES IN, THRIVES IN.

MANY PEOPLE WANT TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM A MODE OF COMMUNICATION BECAUSE THIS LINGUISTIC DISTANCING.

THIS IS IMAGINARY, A MISREPRESENTATION OR THIS IS PAST CONSCIOUSNESS.

OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY AMERICANS AS WELL TO FIND OUR LANGUAGE TO BE REVOLTING AND DESPICABLE.

MANY OF THEM DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THIS FORM OF COMMUNICATION.

SO WHETHER WE´RE REFERRING TO THE OTHERS OR NATIVES WHO DO SO AND SOMETIMES WITH IMPUNITY.

WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SPEAK THE PERFECT FRENCH LIKE WE WANT TO SPEAK OUR PERFECT ENGLISH ALSO, BUT THEY ARE SPEAKING THE FRENCH BUT WANT TO DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR LOCAL CREOLE.

KEEP A CLOSE WATCH OVER THE CHILDREN TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT USE CREOLE.

WE ARE GENERALLY PROUD OF BEING VIRGIN ISLANDERS, THIS EXPRESSION OF PRIDE DOES NOT ALWAYS EXTEND THROUGH A MODE OF COMMUNICATION.

WE DO SO WITH RESTRICTION.

SPEAKING A LANGUAGE SHOULD NOT, MUST NOT BE A RESTRICTIVE ACTIVITY.

SUCH AN ATTITUDE REDUCES IT TO THE LEVEL OF THE TRIVIAL AND ALTERNATELY PROMOTES AN ATTITUDE OF RESIGNATION.

THERE´S NOTHING UNIQUE IN THIS LINGUISTIC ATTACK.

THIS NEW MODE OF ARTICULATION EMERGING AS IT WERE IN COMPETING NATIONS WAS ALSO FUSED WITH AFRICAN LANGUAGES, PORTUGUESE, SPANISH, IT DOES NOT PRELUDE THE FACT THERE´S STILL REMNANTS -- WE ARE PART OF THE NATURAL CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC LEGACY.

AS SUCH WE CANNOT SEPARATE OURSELVES.

THUS IT IS EXPECTED ECHOES OF SOUNDS OF OUR PREDECESSOR STILL RESONATE WITHIN US.

IN HIS BOOK DECOLONIZING THE MIND, BUT I QUOTE THE CHOICE OF LANGUAGE AND THE USE TO WHICH LANGUAGE IS PUT IS CENTRAL TO PEOPLES DEFINITION OF THEMSELVES IN RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR NATURAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, INDEED A RELATIONSHIP TO THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE.

I BELIEVE THAT OPENING THE GATES FOR THE USE OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE WHETHER ST. THOMAS CREOLE, ST. THOMAS AND JOHN CREOLE IN FORMAL SETTINGS WILL HAVE TO DESTIGMATIZE THIS RICH LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY OUR INGENIOUS AND CREATIVE ANCESTORS.

MAYBE THE FORMULATION OF A CABINET THAT FOCUSES ON LANGUAGE WOULD LEAD US TO WIDER RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE.

I WOULD END WITH A QUOTATION.

SPEAKING CREOLE IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF WHO WE ARE.

OUR GOAL IS TO PUT AN END OF OTHER LANGUAGES INCLUDING FRENCH AND SHOW IT CAN BE USED IN ALL CONTEXT.

IF IN THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS WE CAN ARRIVE AT THIS LEVEL OF SOCIAL, CULTURAL, POLITICAL AND LINGUISTIC CONSEQUENCE WE WILL CERTAINLY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF -- SPOKEN IN THE TERRITORIES.

AND WE WILL WELL BE ON THE WAY TO AUTHENTICATING OUR VERY PRECIOUS VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, DR. WHITE.

NEXT WE HAVE MR. McMILLEN.

>> HI, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

>> GOOD EVENING.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME WITH SUCH ESTEEMED SCHOLARS SUCH AS YOURSELVES.

I´M GOING TO BEGIN WITH A POEM I WROTE IN A PRESENTATION I WROTE.

BORN AND RAISED ON THESE 84 SQUARE MILES I KNOW HER SECRET AS WELL AS I KNOW MINE.

ON A WINDY DAY AT THE BEACH YOU MIGHT HEAR THE BREEZE WHISPER IN YOUR EAR, MIND YOUR FOOT.

BUT AS A YOUNG BOY SOMETIMES I´D BE LAUGHING TOO LOUD WITH MY BROTHER OR MY COUSIN OR MY COUSIN WHO WASN´T MY COUSIN BUT YOU COULDN´T TELL WASN´T MY COUSIN TO HEAR THE WARNING.

SOUNDS LIKE MY YOUTH PLAY OVER AND OVER LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.

WE´RE REACHING, WE´RE REACHING, WE´RE REACHING TO THE BEACH, WE REACH, WE REACH, WE REACH TO THE BEACH.

THE RECORDING STUDIO BEING IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK THAT WAS PROBABLY ILLEGAL TO RIDE IN ANYWAY AND STILL WE HAD FUN.

I SPENT MANY OF THOSE DAYS IN MY MOTHER´S HOUSE AND AT NIGHT ON THE PORCH WE COULD SEE A SKYLINE MORE TOXIC THAN WE COULD EVER NOW.

TOWERS OF ECONOMIC FREEDOM, TOWERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL BONDAGE ON THIS PORCH WOULD DEFINE OUR MEMORIES, TOO.

I STRUGGLED PUTTING THESE LINES INTO A POEM I WOULD READ TO HIGH SCHOOLERS.

I AM TIRED OF SPENDING MY MORNINGS WITH GRIEF.

I´M TIRED OF HAVING MY BREAKFAST WITH MOURNING.

WE BRING LIFE TO IT LIKE ONLY WE CAN BECAUSE WE ARE FORGED IN FIRE.

WE ARE CROIXANS, WE ARE VIRGIN ISLANDERS.

SO I WROTE THAT POEM WHILE MAKING THE CASE FOR USING SPOKEN WORD AS A FORM OF TRADITION IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

THAT POEM REALLY TELLS A PIECE OF MY STORY BY JUST THE WORDS THAT I USE.

BUT EVEN BEYOND THE WORDS THAT I USE, HOW I USE THEM IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THAT STORY.

THAT CONCEPT OF CODE SWITCHING GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I WOULD SPEND MY SUMMERS AWAY, MY SUMMERS COMING BACK SO I´D HAVE TO BOB AND WEAVE THROUGH THESE LANGUAGES, THESE DIALECTS IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE.

AND DIALECT BEING SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY STORY I THINK AS THE DOCTOR WAS SAYING WE DO OURSELVES A DISSERVICE WHENEVER WE REFER TO THE LANGUAGE WE SPEAK AS A BROKEN ENGLISH.

BECAUSE THIS LANGUAGE IS SO CENTRAL TO WHO WE ARE, IT´S TIED TO OUR MOST SIMPLE EMOTIONS.

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE SAID -- THAT´S TIED TO OUR ANGER.

OF COURSE SUPER HAPPY YOU HEAR THE DIALECT COME OUT MORE.

IF OUR DIALECT IS TIED TO THE PRIMITIVE EMOTIONS, THESE THINGS SO CENTRAL TO OUR BEING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN WE CALL IT BROKEN?

ARE WE AS PEOPLE ALSO BROKEN?

IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SAY THERE´S NO SPACE FOR IT IN ACADEMIA.

IS THERE NO SPACE FOR VIRGIN ISLANDERS IN ACADEMIA?

WE´VE PROVEN TONIGHT THERE IS A LOT OF SPACE AND WE THRIVE IN ACADEMIA.

AND SO I WISH I COULD SAY IT WAS JUST US, BUT THROUGHOUT MY SPANISH DEGREE I WOULD HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THEIR SPANISH IS BROKEN ESPECIALLY IF THEY SPEAK SPANISH FROM THE CARIBBEAN.

I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON THERE AS TO THE ROOTS OF WHO WE ARE.

AND YOU SEE A LOT OF TIMES THAT A PRESENT POWER COMES TO TAKE OVER AN AREA ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THEY DO IS RELINQUISH THOSE PEOPLE OF THE LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK.

AND NOW I YIELD MY TIME.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

I DEEPLY APPRECIATED HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AND ALSO HEAR A BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU INCORPORATE VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN YOUR LITERATURE.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR ALL OF YOU IS ESSENTIALLY A QUESTION AROUND RECOGNIZING THE LEGITIMACY OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AND HOW ESSENTIAL IT IS TO OUR FREEDOM PRACTICE AS VIRGIN ISLANDERS.

TO BEGIN I´LL DIRECT THIS QUESTION TO DR. WHITE.

AND THE QUESTION ESSENTIALLY IS -- HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE VALIDITY AND THE LEGITIMACY OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AS A LANGUAGE TO A SKEPTIC?

>> I THINK THAT´S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND HERE IS MY POSITION.

I THINK SOMETIMES WE GET SO CAUGHT UP WITH DISTINCTION BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND DIALECT.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG RUN WE´RE PROBABLY SPEAKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.

HERE IS WHERE WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS.

I HAVE NO OBJECTION IN PEOPLE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR CREOLE, OUR VIRGIN ISLANDERS SPEAKING ABOUT OTHER VIRGIN ISLANDERS.

EVEN THOUGH ST. CROIX MIGHT SOUND DIFFERENTLY, MY FAMILY COMES FROM -- AND I CAN TELL YOU I CAN FIND THE DISTINCTION.

EVEN THOUGH THAT IS TRUE, IT´S TRUE IN THE SAME WAY HOW YOU CAN HEAR ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT ACCENTS.

SO ONE THING IS YOU HAVE TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE.

YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT WHEN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE WE SPEAK JUST A BROKEN LANGUAGE OR A BROKEN VERSION OF ENGLISH, THEN WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS YOU ARE ACTUALLY BUYING INTO THE IDEOLOGY THAT THE LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK IS CORRUPT.

SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION I THINK THE ONLY WAY REALLY TO DO IT IS THROUGH EDUCATION, THROUGH CONSTANT REPRESENTATION OF OUR LANGUAGE IN PROGRAMS, IN LITERATURE, ON STAGE AND ALL OF THESE ASPECTS.

BECAUSE WE ARE ON A MISSION, AT LEAST I AM TO SHOW PEOPLE THERE´S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD LANGUAGE.

WHERE I GET UPSET IS WHEN PEOPLE DISMISS OUR LANGUAGE, OH, THAT´S JUST A DIALECT.

I WAS IN THE COMPANY OF SOMEONE ONE TIME WHEN SOMEONE ASKED THE QUESTION -- THE PERSON ASKED DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.

THE ANSWER WAS, WELL, WE SPEAK ENGLISH BUT A BROKEN KIND OF ENGLISH.

THAT´S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.

AND THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE GET UPSET WITH ME.

YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR PERFECT FRENCH.

YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR PERFECT SPANISH, YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR PERFECT ENGLISH.

BUT THERE IS A LOCAL FORM OF EXPRESSION THAT YOU SHOULD EMBRACE IN THE SAME WAY, AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO IT IS TO CONSTANTLY TEAR AT THAT IDEOLOGY THAT OUR LANGUAGE IS JUST AS LEGITIMATE, NO BETTER, NO WORSE.

THIS ISN´T AN ARGUMENT FOR A LANGUAGE THAT IS SUPERIOR.

AND ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING, AND THAT IS THIS.

THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME MOST ABOUT ALL OF THIS VERY OFTEN I´M NOT SPEAKING ABOUT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

IF THE DOCTOR SAYS I WANT TO TALK TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF CREOLE, WHAT THE FIRST REACTION OF THOSE PEOPLE, OH, YOU´RE TRYING TO MOVE THE KIDS AWAY FROM SPEAKING CORRECT ENGLISH.

YOU´RE GOING TO CORRUPT THEM.

THEY´LL NEVER LEARN ENGLISH.

LISTEN TO ME.

A PERSON CAN LEARN SPANISH AND STILL KNOW ENGLISH.

YOU CAN LEARN PORTUGUESE AND STILL LEARN YOUR ENGLISH.

IF I SAY, FOR EXAMPLE -- I CAN SAY THAT AS SLOWLY AS I WANT.

THERE IS NO AMERICAN WHO WILL UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO DON´T TELL ME THAT WE ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH.

WE LIKE THOSE BEFORE US, THEY WERE USING ALL KINDS OF WORDS WHICH IS WORSE THAN SPANISH.

I SEE OUR LANGUAGE AS BEING A CREATIVE LANGUAGE, AND THE WAY TO DO IT IS THROUGH OUR LITERATURE AND CONSTANT EDUCATION LIKE THE ACADEMY THAT I MENTIONED.

>> THANK YOU, DR. WHITE.

A WONDERFUL RESPONSE FOR SO MANY REASONS.

IN PART I FEEL LIKE IT REALLY HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN PART OUR UNDERSTANDING OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AS AN INFERIOR LANGUAGE, THAT IT´S SOMETHING WE LEARN THROUGH THE COLONIAL ORDER AND ALL THE PROCESSES OF WHICH WE MIGHT HAVE INTERNALIZED THAT COLONIZATION.

AND THEREFORE THE RECOGNITION OF THE LEGITIMACY OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IS A PROCESS BY WHICH WE ARE REALLY LEARNING THE FALSE CONSTIOUSNESS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER AND FINDING AND CHARTING NEW WAYS OF BEING IN THE WORLD THAT ARE DISMANTLING AND PUSHING BACK AGAINST THIS NOTION OF OUR INFERIORITY, OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COLINITES, CARIBBEAN.

YOU EACH USE VIRGIN ISLAND CREOLE IN VARIOUS ART FORMS WHETHER THAT BE LITERATURE OR SONG OR THE VARIOUS PLAYS THAT VIRGIN ISLANDERS PARTICIPATE IN.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I FIND MOST NOTABLE ABOUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THAT WHEN WE COMMEMORATE QUEEN MARY, FOR EXAMPLE, OR THINK OF FREEDOM OF 1848 WE DON´T OFTEN TRANSMIT THIS KNOWLEDGE OF OUR HISTORY AND STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH.

WE OFTEN ASK -- AND SO I THINK THERE´S SOMETHING VERY CRITICAL ABOUT THE WAY WE DEPLOY VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE TO FACILITATE REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE REALLY FOUGHT FOR FREEDOM, NOW U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.

AND IN SOME WAYS THE WAY WE SPEAK BACK TO THE CURRENT COLONIAL ORDER.

AND SO I´M WONDERING IF YOU ALL MIGHT SAY A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE AND WHY IT´S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO USE VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE AS WELL AS WHAT YOU THINK IT MAY UNLOCK IN THE WAY THAT YOU THINK ABOUT FREEDOM AND DEVELOP YOUR POLITICAL IMAGINARIES.

>> YEAH.

AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE BRILLIANCE OF THE PRESENTATION SO FAR AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO INCAPSULATE WHAT IS REALLY NOT JUST A CARIBBEAN PROBLEM, BUT THERE´S SO MANY THINGS INVOLVED IN TERMS OF CLASS AND IT GROWS GLOBAL.

I WANT TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID.

I RECOGNIZE YOUR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND EVERYTHING.

BUT YOU REMEMBER WHAT GOT YOU TO START GETTING INTERESTED IN THE CREOLE.

WE WERE ON STAGE IN ST. JOHN FOR EMANCIPATION DAY, WHICH HAS BEEN COMING UNDER THE WINGS OF JULY 4th.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN EMANCIPATION DAY OF THE SAME IMPORTANCE.

WITH THE COVID AND EVERYTHING THIS YEAR WE RUN THE RISK OF IT FALLING BACK UNDER THE WINGS OF FOURTH OF JULY.

AND WE´VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE TRYING TO TIE IN IS SIGNIFICANT NOT JUST FOR THE PEOPLE OF ST. JOHN AND VIRGIN ISLANDS BUT THE CARIBBEAN AND PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AND SO WE TIE THAT INTO 1848.

WITH SOME OF THESE YEARS TAKEN SOME LIBERTIES THAT THEY HAD TO BE IN THE MEMORY OF OUR PEOPLE, THE FREEDOM, FIGHT AND SPIRIT.

THAT WHEN 1733 WAS OVER IT WAS NOT REALLY ALL OVER.

AND THAT 1840 THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD MOVE TO ST. JOHN MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE.

THE THING IS THE SPIRIT WAS THERE TO PUT ON STAGE TO REHEARSE AND MORE PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM ST. THOMAS AND WHATNOT.

AND SOMEBODY SHOWED UP.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE WE DOING BESIDES BEING IN A CLASSROOM AND JUST GOING ON TOURS AND READING POETRY.

WE CAN USE IT RIGHT HERE TO ENERGIZE OUR PEOPLE.

BECAUSE THAT´S WHAT WAS HAPPENING UP AND DOWN THE CARIBBEAN.

AND THAT WAS THE KIND OF THING I WAS HEARING FROM EDUCATORS, THEIR HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF HAVING TO REALLY SUPPRESS A LANGUAGE BECAUSE -- AND WE´VE GOT TO FACE-UP TO IT.

MY MOTHER WOULD SAY TO ME EVERY SO OFTEN, YOU COME BACK WITH A DEGREE -- AND I WOULD HAVE TO SAY YOU LISTEN TO THE SPEECH -- I HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHICH IS THE PROPER ENGLISH.

I THINK MANY ARE SO DAMN CONFUSED ABOUT IT.

LIKE THE KINGS ENGLISH LIKE THEY SPEAK IN ENGLAND THEY´VE GOT IT THAT THEY DON´T SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH THEMSELVES.

I´M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE WHAT IT IS YOU ALL ARE DOING TO BRING IT FORWARD AND KEEP IT ALIVE.

I THINK I´VE PROBABLY SAID TO MUCH, BUT I NEEDED TO GET UP ON MY SOAPBOX.

WE´VE BEEN ABLE TO COME TOGETHER, THE PEOPLE IN ST. JOHN CULTURAL GROUP AND IN ST. CROIX THE GROUP INVOLVED TRYING TO KEEP THIS THING ALIVE.

WE´VE GOT TO ENCOURAGE AND STRENGTHEN OUR FOLKS IN TERMS OF THEIR CULTURAL IDENTITY.

>> I KNOW WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT I´D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE WITH YOU.

AND SO THIS COMMENT, WHAT DOES THE DIS-TENSION BETWEEN THE CREOLE LANGUAGE -- COMPARED TODAY THE EASTERN END OF THE ISLAND AND DID CLASS PLAY A ROLE IN THE DIFFERENCE?

>> THE QUESTION IS ABOUT ONE PART OF THE ISLAND VERSUS ANOTHER?

>> YES, IT IS.

>> THE BEST I CAN GIVE ON THAT IS THAT IN MY EARLIEST WORK WHEN I WAS TRYING TO PUT THE DUTCH CREOLE -- IDENTIFY DUTCH CREOLE INFORMANTS I WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT ONE OF THE FAMILIES I KNOW WELL -- THE FREDERICKS FAMILY, THEIR FATHER WAS AN OLD MAN CALLED CHARLIE FREDERICKS.

HE COULD BE SEEN ON THE ROADS ON THE WAY INTO TOWN, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE I WAS GOING TO GET SOME OF THE REMNANTS OF DUTCH AND HE SPOKE IT WITH A PARTICULAR -- HE TOLD ME PEOPLE DOWN THE STREET SPEAK IT DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CERTAIN DRAG.

AND THESE ARE LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU GET.

BUT HE WAS ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE ME IN DUTCH CREOLE.

HE LICHBED ON THE SOUTH EASTERN PART OF THE ISLAND.

SO THERE WERE CHARACTERISTICS THAT CARRIED OVER IN THE ENGLISH HE SPOKE.

>> THANKS FOR SHARING THAT HISTORY WITH US.

QUESTION AND PERHAPS IT´S A QUESTION FOR BOTH OF US.

BUT ESSENTIALLY MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW YOU UNDERSTAND OUR GENERATION´S ACCEPTANCE OR LACK THEREOF OF VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE.

WHAT WORK DO YOU THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO TO RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMACY OF OUR LANGUAGE?

>> SURE.

SO I THINK WITH OUR GENERATION I AM SEEING A LOT OF US COMMUNICATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN VERY RAW VERSIONS OF OUR DIALECT.

AND IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A RELATIVELY NEW THING.

AND I THINK THAT OUR GENERATION IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE KIND OF RESPECTABILITY POLITICS THAT PLAYS INTO NOT USING OUR DIALECT IN CERTAIN CONTEXTS, AND WHETHER IT BE CONSCIOUSLY OR NOT WE´RE DOING WHAT WE CAN DO UNDO IT.

I THINK THE WORK THAT WE CAN DO TO KIND OF FURTHER THAT WOULD BE SORT OF WHAT DR. WHITE AND DR. SPROW WAS SAYING WHICH IS START EXPLAINING WHY THIS IS A LANGUAGE OR A DIALECT IN AND OF ITSELF THAT´S NOT BROKEN ENGLISH.

I HATE TO HARP ON THAT, BUT IT´S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS.

IF YOU´RE SAYING ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO THE STORE, YOU WOULD NEVER HEAR ONE OF US SAY, ARE GOING TO THE STORE BECAUSE THAT ARE DOESN´T STICK GRAMMATICALLY.

IF IT WAS JUST BROKEN ENGLISH IT WOULDN´T HAVE THAT KIND OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE.

I THINK OUR GENERATION IS DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF UNLEARNING SOME OF THE HARMS THAT WERE TAUGHT TO OUR PARENTS AND THEIR PARENTS.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

ALSO WHAT I REALLY LOVED IN YOUR RESPONSE ALSO WAS THE WAY IN WHICH YOU POINTED US TO THE QUESTION OF GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE AND ALSO CONSENSUS.

BECAUSE I THINK FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO OFTEN VIEW VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE OF SIMPLY BEING A BROKEN FORM OF ENGLISH, THEY DON´T OFTEN NECESSARILY RECOGNIZE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THERE ARE INDEED GRAMMATICAL RULES FOR OUR LANGUAGE.

AND SO IN OUR LEARNING I THINK A BIT MORE CLEARLY WHAT THOSE GRAMMATICAL RULES ARE AND BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN THAT IN A WAY THAT FOSTERS CONSENSUS, I THINK THAT YOU´RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT WE´LL BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD A SPACE WHERE OUR ADVOCACY FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IS A BIT MORE CLEAR.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DISCUSSION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A LITMUS TEST.

AND SO ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE FOR ALL OF US WAS ESSENTIALLY A MORE PERSONAL QUESTION OF WHEN DID WE EACH INDIVIDUALLY START TO CHALLENGE SOME EXPECTABILITY POLITICS THAT OFTEN ADVOCATES FOR SHUNNING VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN FAVOR OF STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH AND TO SPEAK A BIT MORE HOW WE MIGHT HAVE INDIVIDUALLY PUSHED BACK AGAINST THAT IN BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID, I WANT TO SAY I FEEL LIKE MY MOTHER WAS OFTEN A PERSON IN MY LIFE WHO ADVOCATED VERY STRONGLY FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE.

AND WHEN I SPOKE STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH OFTEN REMINDED ME, HEY, WE HAVE A LANGUAGE AS VIRGIN ISLANDERS.

AND WHILE IT´S WONDERFUL YOU´RE USING STANDARD ENGLISH IN ACADEMIC CONTEXT, DON´T FORGET WE HAVE A LANGUAGE AND WE CAN CO-SWITCH OR SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES WITHOUT HAVING TO DEGRADE OR CREATE A HIERARCHY BETWEEN ONE OR THE OTHER.

SO WHEN I PENNED MY SENIOR THESIS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS I INCLUDED VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN MY TITLE OF MY SENIOR THESIS.

AND ALSO OFTEN WHEN I TEACH EVEN WHEN I TEACH ON THE U.S. MAINLAND WHETHER AT BROWN UNIVERSITY OR AS A RESEARCH FELLOW AT STANFORD, I OFTEN SPEAK VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN THE CLASSROOM.

AND SO THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF LIKE THE ACADEMIC YEAR THIS IS VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE AND I FELT THAT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, ONE, BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME TO INCREASE MY OWN COMFORTABILITY IN THE SPACE, BUT, TWO, I THINK IT HELPED TO LESSEN SOME OF THE HIERARCHIES THAT EXIST AROUND LANGUAGE BY NORMALIZING MY COMMUNICATION IN VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE IN BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT.

AND SO I´M CURIOUS ABOUT WHETHER YOU ALL HAD ANY SPECIFIC LIGHT BULB MOMENT YOU´D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US OR IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR OBSERVATIONS OF THINGS THAT YOU OR SOMETHING LOVED ONES MAY HAVE DONE AND/OR SAID THAT REALLY HELPED YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR LANGUAGE AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE IT A BIT DIFFERENTLY.

>> AT RISK OF CAUSING ISSUES IN THE FAMILY, MY KIDS, MY CHILDREN THERE ARE FOUR OF THEM.

AND EACH ONE OF THEM IS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

ALL FOUR REALLY PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR OWN WAY.

VERY GOOD EDUCATION.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TOTALLY COMFORTABLE IN SPEAKING CREOLE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT THEY DEAL WITH EVERY DAY WITHOUT ANY -- THEY CAN CODE SWITCH WHEN IT´S PRACTICAL TO CODE SWITCH.

BUT THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM USING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CREOLE THEY LEARNED.

AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO -- AND THAT´S WHY I MENTIONED THE SITUATION WITH MY MOTHER I HAD TO DEAL WITH IT.

BECAUSE WE CAN´T IGNORE THE FACT THERE´S A LOT OF AMBIVALENCE.

AMBIVALENCE IS PART OF CREOLE LIFE.

AND NOWADAYS THAT EVERYBODY IS INTO THE CULTURE WHERE YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET WHAT YOU NEED OR WHAT YOU WANT -- I´M SURE SOMEBODY HAS HEARD THAT THERE´S A SUSPICION THAT SOMEBODY WAS SPEAKING AMERICAN ENGLISH AND SOMEBODY WAS SPEAKING SPANISH -- YOU KNOW, SO PEOPLE ARE DOING WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO SEND DIFFERENT MESSAGES.

AND FIRST OF ALL WE´VE GOT TO DEAL WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED RIGHT HERE AMONG US, WITH THE PEOPLE WE LOVE.

BUT A LOT OF THEM DON´T REALLY SUBSCRIBE TO WHAT WE ARE SAYING TONIGHT ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF OUR LANGUAGE AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO OUR CULTURE AND OUR IDENTITY.

>> I´M WONDERING IF YOU´D LIKE TO MAKE A CLOSING REMARK ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND POWER AND FREEDOM.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE THE DOCTOR IS THE EFFORT THEY HAVE MADE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO GO BACK AND LEARN VIRGIN ISLANDS DUTCH CREOLE.

I´M STRUGGLING WITH THAT LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW.

I´M TRYING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.

BUT FOR ME THE THING I´LL SAY IS IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE USUALLY THEY HAVE A GRAMMATIC STRUCTURE THAT DETERMINES WHAT A LANGUAGE IS.

THE RULING CLASS, THE RULING POWER.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH US IS BECAUSE WE´RE SO COLONIZED, YES WE´RE A UNITED STATES TERRITORY BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WE CAN´T VOTE FOR A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IF YOU LIVE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

SO THEREFORE NO ONE WILL WANT TO AUTHENTICATE OUR FORM OF SPEAKING.

BECAUSE THE FIRST THING PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY IS IT IS BAD ENGLISH.

YOU´RE TEACHING THE CHILDREN STUPIDNESS, LET THE CHILDREN LEARN.

I THINK OUR POWER WILL COME AND OUR FREEDOM WILL COME FROM INSISTING -- INSISTING ON THAT LEGACY THAT CAME FROM BEFORE.

THE PEOPLE THAT SUFFERED IN 1733 AND IN 1848 AND THE PEOPLE THAT SUFFERED IN 1892, OKAY, ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WE HAVE TO HONOR THEM BY HONORING THE FACT THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE SPEAKING A DIFFERENT KIND OF LANGUAGE THAT WE ARE SPEAKING NOW.

SO I THINK EMBRACING THAT, RECOGNIZING IT AND SEEING IT AS PART OF OUR CHERISHED LEGACY, THERE´S NO SHAME IN THAT.

>> RIGHT, THANK YOU DR. WHITE FOR MAKING SUCH A STRONG CLOSING REMARK AND REMINDING US TO HONOR OUR HEROES.

AND ALSO THANK YOU DR. SPROW AND MR. McMILLEN FOR JOINING US.

WE ARE AT THE END OF OUR SEGMENT, SO OF COURSE WE COULD HAVE CONTINUED TALKING FOR MUCH LONGER IN CLOSING.

I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK THE FRIENDS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, MY FELLOW TEAM MEMBERS AT ST. JANCO AND MY TEAM HERE AT WTJX.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO TOOK THE TIME THIS EVENING TO JOIN US FOR THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT LANGUAGE, FREEDOM, POWER AND IDENTITY IN THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.

I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY.

TAKE CARE.

♫♫