November 23rd marks the anniversary of one of the darkest days in St. John’s history that culminated in a violent and widespread uprising by the enslaved individuals. Hundreds lost their lives. Below is an account of that fateful day found in a book entitled, A Historical Account of St. Thomas West India Islands by John P. […]
Black History
New Book! ~ Runaway Virgins by Enrique Corneiro
Runaway Virgins I recently purchased this brand new book entitled, Runaway Virgins by Enrique Corneiro. It is incredibly moving! Enrique shared over 250 slavery-related advertisements that he curated from the old Danish newspapers to help shine a light on what life was like for the enslaved people of the Danish West Indies, now the US Virgin Islands. More than 300 specific […]
My Emancipated Ancestors by Dr. Dante Beretta
My Emancipated Ancestors By Dr. Dante Beretta On Sunday evening, the 2nd of July 1848, the tutu sounded over western St. Croix. The tutu was a conch shell fashioned into a horn, which gave a clear loud sound that carried over long distances. Historically in the Danish West Indies, the tutu was used […]
10 Books David Hamilton Jackson Recommended You Read ~ 1916
David Hamilton Jackson David Hamilton Jackson was a staunch labor-rights activist and educator from St. Croix. He felt strongly about “uplifting the colored population” in the Virgin Islands and represented many of the laborers during the 1915 labor strike, fighting hard for higher pay. As a lawyer and newspaper publisher, he lobbied for US citizenship for […]
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, One of the Greatest Living Composers by Alton A. Adams ~ 1910
Alton A. Adams The First Black Bandmaster in the US Navy Alton A. Adams, a gifted musician, wrote many articles about music history for the local Virgin Islands’ newspapers. 🎼 He was enamored by talented Black musicians like Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Joseph H. Douglass and Harry T. Burleigh. In honor of Black History Month, here is a […]