News Articles

Burial Rituals in the USVI

John F. McKeon Image:Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson In the colonial Danish West Indies, the plantocracy’s denial of traditional burial rights was a calculated tool of "social death," intended to strip enslaved Africans of their ancestral connections and reduce them to mere chattel property. By prohibiting cultural customs —such as night burials, drumming, and communal grieving—planters sought to prevent the "demonic" or "mutinous" organization they feared these rituals f

Plaskett Condemns Historical Marker Removals

Staff St Croix Times USVI - Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett issued a statement denouncing a sweeping Trump Administration directive targeting historical markers at National Parks nationwide - a campaign that has reached the Virgin Islands National Park, where signs and exhibits documenting the Territory’s history are currently being removed. The Virgin Islands National Park protects more than 7,000 acres on St. John, that tells the story of the Territory’s past: Taino

Havana Nights 10th Year Does the Old Fort Proud

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - Returning to its roots, Project Promises’ annual bash of a fund raiser, Havana Nights, came home to Fort Frederick, where its inaugural outing began, to celebrate its 10th year anniversary. And what a celebration it was! Project Promises’ Executive Director and Founder, Resa O’Reilly Shearn, waved her magic wand and spun the old fort into a wondrous delight of Cuban flare. Havana Nights thrilled and excited the hundreds in attendance, from fire

A Brief History of AgriFest

M.A. Dworkin AgriFest really had its roots in the 1930’s when it was called Agricultural Field Days and held at the former Agricultural Experiment Station in Estate Anna’s Hope. The Fair was still held in February and was still considered one of the highlights of the Crucian year. It attracted almost every producer on the island and not only featured fruits and vegetables as well as livestock and poultry but also their products and by-products which included fresh meats, mil

Gov. Bryan Honors Black History Month

M.A. Dworkin USVI - The following is a statement issued by Governor Albert Bryan Jr, on Black History Month 2026: In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Black history is both remembered and lived every day. We honor it in our history books and in our families, culture, faith, and commitment to moving these islands forward. As I shared in this year’s State of the Territory Address, our story has never been defined by ease. We have faced storms, pandemics, and economic pressur

VI Palestinian Friendship Day Brings Warm Relations

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - The bonds of true friendship run deep. They take time and patience to establish. They command mutual respect. They are cherished. They are not easily broken because they have survived the test of time. Such are the bonds that exist between the Palestinian community and the community of the U.S. Virgin Islands. This strong bond was exhibited at the VI Palestinian Friendship Day that was presented by the Virgin Islands Palestinian Friendship Associatio

USVI Purchases 2,469 Acres of Historic Land on St. Croix

M.A, Dworkin St. Croix - Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) announced at the Monday Press Briefing at Government House St Croix, they have completed one of the largest land acquisitions in Territorial history, securing 2,469 acres at Maroon Ridge and Annaly Bay on St. Croix. The $17.5 million purchase, finalized August 15, 2025, was funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oc

West Gyul’s Tart Wars A Delicious Success! Coconut Reigns Again!

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - West Gyul’s sense of what hits the public’s tastebuds was a resounding success for the organization’s 2nd...

Gov Bryan Gives Tribute to a Fallen V.I. Icon

M.A. Dworkin Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and his entire Administration gave tribute and heartfelt condolences on the passing of Eldred “Edgie” Christian at the Press Conference held at Government House St. Croix on May 27, 2025. “Edgie was a bearer of our culture in the truest sense,” the Governor said of one the founding members of Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights (TSK). “His legacy will live on in the music, the memories, and by the many hearts of those he touched