DANIEL L. HEFTEL LECTURE

On April 16-17, 2004, the Council hosted the Daniel L. Heftel Workshop and Lecture in the Humanities on the island of St. Croix in partnership with the St. Croix Landmarks Society and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. This year Donovan Rypkema of Place Economics, the guest lecturer, presented a dynamic workshop entitled “Heritage Tourism, Historic Preservation and Competitive Community.” The workshop participants were community leaders in the fields of historic preservation, heritage tourism and government. Mr. Rypkema’s lecture covered the economic benefits of historic preservation and its impact throughout the United States.

On Saturday evening at the Whim Museum, Mr. Rypkema lectured to a packed hall on “Historic Preservation in Our Communities: Its Impact on Economic and Socio-Cultural Development.” Directly after the lecture, the Council presented the Humanist Award, posthumously, to Mrs. Athalie McFarlane Petersen, who dedicated more than 40 years of her career to literacy. In 1982, in recognition of her service and her role in spearheading the renovation of the old Frederiksted Library, formerly known as the Bell House, the Fourteenth Legislature of the Virgin Islands passed Bill No. 14-0703, of Act No. 4728, naming the restored facility the Athalie McFarlane Petersen Public Library.

VIHC PUBLICATIONS

Hans West’s Accounts of St. Croix in the West Indies, edited by Arnold R. Highfield and translated by Nina York, is the final installment of the Council’s translation project. This work by Hans West, a Danish teacher and scholar, is an overview of the conditions on St. Croix from 1789 to 1793. In it, West describes the education, customs and social obligations of the white residents, as well as the ecology and the natural environment of the island. In addition, he reports on the lives of the enslaved. His survey ends with short sketches of St. Thomas, St. John, Vieques, and the British Virgin Islands.

THE HEATH AWARD

The Council bestowed the first Heath Award on two exemplary teachers of the humanities on June 13, 2004, at a luncheon held at Palms Court Harborview. The Council was extremely pleased to have Commissioner Dr. Noreen Michael as guest speaker. AFT President Frandelle deLagarde made a presentation to the winners, and the Council awarded each winner $1,000 and a commemorative certificate.

Glenn “Kwabena” Davis of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School and Mr. Anselm Richards of St. Croix’s Central High School.

Mr. Davis, has been teaching the value of Virgin Islands culture for most of his life. A graduate of the then CVI, Mr. Davis began teaching at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School over 10 years ago. During that time, Mr. Davis has cultivated a garden with local herbs, taught students how to identify the plants and to prepare local foods and juices. He has emphasized the importance of traditional forms of music and dance such as quelbe and quadrille. He is a charter member of Community to Revive Our Culture, founder of Voices of Love Community Choir, director of Association of Concerned Native Virgin Islanders and board member of the VI Council on the Arts.

The recipient on St. Croix, Anselm Richards, has dedicated 28 years to teaching art in all forms. Mr. Richards is a recipient of several awards, including Morris F. DeCastro Fellowship for Excellence in Government Service, University of the Virgin Islands Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art Education and Virgin Islands Department of Education 4 C’s Award of Excellence for Commitment, Caring, Cooperation and Competence. Mr. Richards’s philosophy, according to an article in the online newspaper The St. Thomas Source, is that if students “know you are supportive, that even when they make bad mistakes, you are still there for them, there’s no limit to what they will do.” The Heath Award, made possible by a generous donation from Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Heath, recognizes the achievements of two public school teachers of grades K-12 from St. Thomas/St. John and St. Croix who have exhibited outstanding ability and unfailing dedication to teaching the humanities.

COMMUNITY GRANTS AWARDED

The 2004 community grant cycle had a diverse collection of projects including a summer workshop for teachers and culminating with a media production on quelbe music.

During the summer, Caribbean Museum Center of St. Croix, to whom the VIHC awarded $3,500, sponsored “Once Upon a Time – A Story about Education in the Virgin Islands, featuring Delta Dorsch.” This media project gave teachers an avenue for exploring culture through film.               Project Director: Julie Loquidis

The Lutheran Social Services—Queen Louise Home for Children celebrated its100th year of service to the Virgin Islands. The Humanities Council was pleased to help sponsor an exhibit of photographs commemorating their continued support to the Virgin Islands community. The Lutheran Social Services was awarded $3,500.  Project Director: Juanita Lawson-Haith

The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development, to whom the VIHC awarded $3,500, sponsored a documentary and archiving project focusing on legendary Crucian quelbe musician James “Jamesie” Brewster. His works in the Virgin Islands have distinguished him a musician, cultural icon and quelbe preservationist.  Project Director: Kathleen McManus & Andrea Leland

The Pistarckle Theater was awarded $6,740 for a project entitled, “Harriet’s Return – An Interactive Workshop on Slavery and Freedom.” This presentation/performance integrated an audience talk back centered on the life of freedom fighter and abolitionist, Harriet Tubman.  Project Director: Nicola Emerich

The Council was honored to fund $10,000 for the University of the Virgin Islands Humanities Festival, a celebration of the humanities in the context of the culture of the Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean community. It showcased scholarly achievement and creative skill in the humanities of students, scholars, artists, and musicians from the Virgin Islands, the wider Caribbean, and the Caribbean diaspora.  Project Director: David Gould

St. Croix Center Stage was awarded $3,500 to fund “The Haitian Revolution – A comparative to St. Croix’s Fire Burn.” The program included a dramatic reading taken from excerpts of Levy Lee Simpon and Gillory’s play “For the Love of Freedom.” Project Director: Madeline McCray

WE THE PEOPLE

The National Endowment for the Humanities, in support of the “We The People” initiative, awarded the Virgin Islands Humanities Council a grant of $29,250 on September 28, 2004. The goal of this project is to encourage and strengthen the teachings and understanding of American history and culture through which we ultimately define ourselves as Americans. The Council’s project title is “U.S. Virgin Islanders: A People’s Quest for Self-Governance.” The issue of self-determination is at the core of being a U.S. Virgin Islander. At present, the Virgin Islands is at a crossroad: its political maturity is questionable because discussions about the political status and constitution of the territory have been stalled. The Virgin Islands Humanities Council is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. Its mission is to provide opportunities for the diverse population of the Virgin Islands to participate in humanities programs, which promote a love of learning, encourage dialogue, enhance understanding and broadens people’s judgment. To this end, “The Council will use the funds for a planning conference, a series of public forums, a lecture, video series and essay contest in order to deepen public awareness and understanding about the issues shaping the political future of the Virgin Islands.”

VIHC RELOCATES

In February the Council moved to #7 Kongens Gade, just one building west of its former location. This facility, the renovated Penha residence, is large enough to house the four member staff comfortably and allow for an entire annex dedicated to the Humanities Resource Center.

Centrally located, this facility sits on the outskirts of the downtown historic district. The doors of the main building open to a reception area with comfortable seating for visitors, a display of VIHC Publications and vivid paintings by Clifton Berry and Janet Cook Rutnik. The offices of the Executive Director and Program Officer flank the central reception area while the Fiscal Officer is quartered in the northernmost part of the building. Through the back door and across the courtyard is the Humanities Resource Center (HRC), which houses the Council’s books, videos and photographs.

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