WE THE PEOPLE 2005

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports a national initiative called “We The People.” Its goal is to encourage and strengthen the teachings, study and understanding of American history and culture through the support of projects that explore significant events and themes and advance knowledge of the principles that define America. The Council’s project, “U.S. Virgin Islanders: A People’s Quest for Self-Governance,” educated the Virgin Islands community through a series of events.

“Virgin Islanders: Who Are We?” April 2, 2005
This lively panel discussion, the first program in the WTP series of events, enhanced our understanding of who we are as a people and the cultural dynamics that make us who we are. The panelists were the Honorable Lorraine L. Berry—representing the French Heritage Association, Dr. Eddie Donoghue—The Montserrat Society, Mr. Carmelo Rivera—Hispanos Unidos, Ms. Adrienne L. Williams—Generation Now! and Nina York representing the Friends of Denmark. The moderator, Professor Gene Emanuel, introduced and summarized each panelist’s presentation.

We The People Essay Contest, May 2005

The thought-provoking topic of the Council’s essay contest, open to all eleventh graders, was “How do I expect to fulfill my role as a citizen of the U.S. Virgin Islands?” One winner was chosen from each district: Ms. Devrelle Dumas of Charlotte Amalie High School for the St. Thomas District and Ms. Nicole Christian of Central High School for the St. Croix District. The students were introduced to the community through various public appearances including Graffiti Street on WTJX Channel 12 and Talk2 on TV2. The students read their essays and answered questions from the viewers.

“Transfer Day Perspectives” Education Documentary and Study Guide, May 2005
This education documentary examines the on-going struggle of Virgin Islanders to attain full U.S. citizenship. It features interviews with eyewitnesses of Transfer Day March 31, 1917, and with legal and political scholars about present and future options. Copies of the documentary video along with an accompanying study guide will be distributed to all junior and senior high schools and libraries in the Territory. The participants interviewed for this production include Mrs. Blanche Sasso—educator and culture bearer, Mrs. Ursula Krigger—educator and humanitarian, Mr. Basil Ottley—political analyst and civic leader, Dr. Malik Sekou—political scholar and historian, Atty. Judith Bourne—attorney and community activist, Dr. Carlyle Corbin—scholar and government official, and Hon. Donna Christian-Christensen—delegate to Congress. The educational documentary was aired on WTJX, VITV, and TV2.

“The Ambiguity of Our U.S. Citizenship” Panel Discussion, September 24, 2005
The final event in the Council’s “We the People” project, on St. John at the Battery (Governor’s Residence), featured four scholars who informed the public about inherent rights and international laws to seek self-governance. The panelists were Ms. Judith Bourne, Esq.—attorney and community activist, Dr. Carlyle Corbin—Representative for External Affairs and political scholar, Mr. Gerard Emanuel—educator and community activist, and Dr. Malik Sekou—associate professor of political science. Mr. Rupert Ross, former educator and community activist, moderated the event, which concluded with audience participation during question and the answer period and discussion during the reception.

 

THE HEATH AWARD

The second annual Heath Award presentations were held simultaneously on June 4, 2005 when St. Croix and St. Thomas VIHC board members took the winners to an informal lunch on their respective islands. Dr. and Mrs. Heath were in attendance with the St. Thomas award recipient, Humanities Council board members, and staff. The winners, Frances Rutnik and Ms. Lisa Lenhardt, received certificates and checks for $1,000 for their outstanding ability and unfailing dedication to the teaching of the humanities. 

 

 

 

Ms. Lisa Lenhardt     Ms. Frances Rutnik 

Frances Rutnik, an art teacher at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Nazareth College of Rochester and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the College of St. Rose. She has attended numerous art forums in the United States. In graduate school Ms. Rutnik was one of the founding researchers for what is called data based arts education, which encompasses not only studio art techniques but aesthetics and art criticism skills. Ms. Rutnik has been teaching for 26 years, the last 16 of which were at Ivanna Eudora Kean. Ms. Lisa Lenhardt is a dance instructor at Central High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts. Ms. Lenhardt has also attended several dance conventions in New York and has been teaching at Central for 14 years and is an alumna.

 

In Memory of Mrs. Heath

Mrs. Heath enthusiastically co-sponsored the Heath Award for Excellence in the Teaching of the Humanities, which enables the Council to recognize local teachers who make a difference in the lives of our children. Her sudden and untimely passing on December 21, 2005 created a great void within the Council. Mrs. Geraldine Heath was a caring friend and true supporter of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council. As a board member, Mrs. Heath served in every capacity— from being vice chair for two years 2004 and 2005 to chairing the Institutional Advancement Committee. Mrs. Heath’s involvement, buoyant optimism in the face of any challenge and passion to educate and empower others will be sorely missed.

 

THE HUMANIST AWARD

In 1992, the V.I. Humanities Council initiated the Humanist Award to give recognition to Virgin Islanders who have made exemplary contributions to the cultural life of the community through the humanities. The award is presented at the Annual Daniel L. Heftel Lecture in the Humanities. This year the Humanist Award was presented to Governor Charles W. Turnbull on September 24, 2005. Governor Turnbull has served the people in many professional capacities, as a teacher and principal at Charlotte Amalie High School, assistant commissioner and the commissioner of the Department of Education, adjunct professor, professor and professor emeritus of history at the University of the Virgin Islands, and as a member of the Virgin Islands Board of Education and the Board of the Virgin Islands Humanities Council. His service in education spanned more than forty years. As Governor, he continues to support legislation to promote education and cultural awareness in the Territory.

 

COMMUNITY GRANTS AWARDED

This year, community regrant awards, amounting to $40, 222, were disbursed to eight organizations in the Virgin Islands. The Council was pleased to see several first-time applicants participating it humanities-based programs.

Major Grants

The Association of V.I. Visual Arts Education was awarded $10,000 to conduct the “Traveling Quelbe Exhibit and Colloquium.” This project presented quelbe as an art form and musical tradition on all three islands. The exhibit provided a visual history of it culture bearers and musical artifacts while the scholars discussed the historical and critical aspects of our official music.  Project Director: Mr. Edney Freeman

“Cultural Traditions of the V.I.: Disseminating and Educating.” The Alton A. Adams Music Research Institute was awarded $4,650 to conduct a four-part summit showcasing musical culture and traditions to increase awareness among Virgin Islanders, especially teachers and to recognize culture bearers.  Project Director: Dr. Rosita Sands

The St. Croix Landmark Society was granted $3,869 to host an interactive “Mock Archaeological Dig” for the territory’s students. Through a hands-on process, students created, discovered and documented artifacts.  Project Director: Ms. Marilyn Chakroff

The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development received $3,500 to hold an event entitled, “Market Women and Sunday Market Square,” which included lectures and displays on the archived and oral histories of the families who lived and worked in the neighborhood.
Project Director: Mr. George Tyson

We From Upstreet, a community organization, was awarded $12,441 to produce Legacies of Upstreet. The publication, written by Mrs. Ruth Moolenaar, chronicles the lives and social order of St. Thomas, specifically the “Upstreet” neighborhood or Kongens Quarter, by documenting family histories, traditions and cultural events. We From Upstreet hosted a book-launching event on November 13, 2006. Presenters and invited quests included scholars, community members and supporters. Copies of the book are now available for sale at the Council office.
Project Director: Mrs. Ruth Moolenaar

 

Minor Grants

“Folk Music of the Virgin Islands” ($2,500) Michael J. Kirwan Elementary School: Mrs. Neomie Toussaint-Williams, Project Director. Quelbe workshops for the Michael J. Kirwan School Student Choir, are being conducted by Mr. Jamesie Brewster and the All Star Band, and Mr. Rayond LaMotta, brother of the late Bill LaMotta, folk music preservationist. At the first workshop, Mr. Jamsie Brewster, Mr. Irvin “Brownie” Brown, and Mr. Camille “King Derby” Macedon spoke about their folk music experiences and demonstrated the different kinds of folk music to an engaging audience of 100. The second workshop, to be conducted by Mr. Ray LaMotta in February 2006, will be open to the public.

“We Are Culture Bearers Too! Youth Preserving Traditional Games” ($3,302) Charles H. Emanuel Elementary School: Mrs. Joan Keenan, Project Director. For this pre-production media project, a student production team developed the raw material to create a 20-minute educational documentary on the traditional games of the Virgin Islands such as “Four White Horses” and “Brown Girl in the Ring,” demonstrated by culture bearers and students. The completed documentary will be available by the summer of 2006.

“Puerto Rican Folk Arts & Culture—A Point of View” ($1,767) Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts: John Obafemi Jones, Project Director. Professor Siuko Garcia, from the Center for Advanced Studies in San Juan, explained how Puerto Rican art reflects ties to Taino, European, and African heritage. She also demonstrated the use of some of the folk art pieces and led her audience in a song and poetry recital. Her lecture articulated many commonalities between Puerto Rican and Virgin Islands arts and heritage.

“Storytelling and Bookmaking Workshop” ($3,500) The Forum: Ms. Tynetta McIntosh, Project Director.  This workshop promoted literacy and creativity, by facilitating the creation of stories that were published on site. The students participated in the creation of the collective storyline then personalized the ending of their version of the story.

 

VIHC PARTNERSHIPS

In 2005 the Humanities Council extended its reach through collaborations with other organizations which support various cultural activities. We are especially grateful for the cooperation and support of several television stations, specifically TV2, VITV, and WTJX.

On March 31, 2005, the Council participated in the 88th Annual Legislative Forum, sponsored by the Office of the Senate President. This forum, held on the anniversary of Transfer Day, brought together political scholars from the Virgin Islands to lecture on the theme of the event: “From Danish Colonial Councils (1853) to the Revised Organic Act of 1954: A Century of Struggle for the Constitutional Democracy.”

The “Duke Of Iron” Quattro Presentation
Mr. Cecil Anderson, known as the “Duke of Iron,” made Virgin Islands history when he sang “Rain Don’t Stop the Carnival” in 1952. In commemoration of this event, the daughters of the famed calypsonian presented his quattro, a four-stringed instrument, to the people of the Virgin Islands. The quattro, which is similar to a guitar, has a long history in the Caribbean and South America. The Council was honored to work with several other organizations and individuals to support the historical presentation of a significant and symbolic gift—the quattro.

“Arts & Humanities All Around We” Calypso Contest
In celebration of Arts and Humanities Month in October, the Council teamed up with the Virgin Island Council on the Arts to present various activities to the community. A calypso contest invited junior and senior high school student to express the need for more arts and humanities in their lives through song. The winners of the contest—Delvian Bennett, Akesha Petersen, Leba Smith, Aaron Luke, Kia Steele and Jemarson Jackson—all hailed from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.

 

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2005 VIHC SUPPORTERS

Oswin Sewer
Dr. Roberta Knowles
Yvonne Rivera
Barbara Hollingsworth
Rita L. Coll
Patricia McCoy
Dr. Elizabeth Rezende
Nereida O'Reilly
Marilyn F. Krigger
Wayne Petersen
Valence Co., Inc.
Dr. Ademola Olugebefola
Michael Banzhaf Gallery
Mrs. Geraldine Heath

THANKS FOR JOINING US AS WE CONTINUE TO:

• Tell our stories

• Preserve our traditions and

• Develop an informed citizenry

 

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