2008 Annual Report
Message from the Executive Director
This year has been one of significant transition for us all. There is an increased awareness of human values, reflection on ideas, analysis of the past and present, and envisioning of the future.
President Barack Obama, who embodies the humanities, is now at the helm of our nation. The language that he used in his speeches throughout the campaign and on election night suggests that the humanities can offer a useful and critical medium to address the kinds of social issues he considers most important.
The Virgin Islands Humanities Council works toward responding to these issues in the most constructive and productive way by being at the forefront of promoting and documenting the value of culture and heritage. In 2007, we contributed to advancing cultural heritage tourism as a viable mode of economic empowerment for the territory. This year, we nurtured Virgin Islands literary voices by showcasing the works of local artists, writers, poets, and dramatists through interactive classroom learning.
Our influential presence in the community has proven our ability to respond quickly to issues of importance, while providing opportunities to reflect on timeless questions. Both enable us to play a key role for the greater benefit of the people of the Virgin Islands.
Join us in providing lifelong learning opportunities. Please support the humanities by giving a contribution. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated as we continue to serve you by restrengthening and transforming our community.
Best Wishes,
Mabel J. Maduro
Executive Director
Fiscal Report
| Statement of Revenues and Expenditures Fiscal Year 2008, November 1, 2007 - October 31, 2008 |
|
|---|---|
| SUPPORT & REVENUES | |
| National Endowment for the Humanities | $259,900 |
| Gifts, Publications, and other income | $82,216 |
| Other Grants | $50,980 |
| Interest Income | $290 |
| Total Support and Revenues | $393,386 |
| EXPENDITURES | |
| Regrant Awards | $65,695 |
| Program Service | $78,191 |
| Management and General Support | $249,500 |
| Total Expenditures | $393,386 |
VIHC Partnerships
UVI President Laverne Ragster Photo
courtesy of Hillary Hodge
The Virgin Islands Humanities Council partnered in 2008 with the University of the Virgin Islands, the V.I. Department of Tourism, and West Indian Company, Ltd., to host a festival aimed at deepening public awareness and understanding of literary expression in the Virgin Islands.
The "V.I. Voices: A Spoken Word and Literary Festival" brought together writers, illustrators, storytellers and poets for a two-day event at the St. Thomas campus in October to explore themes such as self-expression, migration, and assimilation.
The event was funded in part by a grant of $51,280 from the National Endowment of the Humanities [NEH] as part of its national "We the People" initiative to encourage and strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture
VIHC Board Member Mills-Bocachica Assumes National Policy-Making Post
The Federation of State Humanities Councils appointed Wanda Mills-Bocachica in November to its 15-member Board of Directors at its annual business meeting in Crystal City, Virginia. The international consultant in sustainable development and heritage tourism will serve four years.
Upcoming Events for 2009
| January 5 | Mini Grant Application Deadline | St. Thomas |
|---|---|---|
| February 13 | An Evening With V.I. Voices | St. Croix |
| March 2 | Mini Grant Application Deadline | St. Thomas |
| April 18 | General Meeting | St. Thomas |
| May 1 | Mini Grant Application Deadline | St. Thomas |
| May | Dissemination of Chautauqua Series DVD Grant Workshop |
St. Thomas/St. Croix |
| May 22 | Heath Award | St. Thomas/St. John/St. Croix |
| May or June | "Celebrating Our Diversity" Fundraiser | St. Thomas |
| July 1 | Mini & Major Grant Application Deadline | St. Thomas |
| July 25 | General Meeting on Planning & Self Assessment | St. Thomas/St. Croix by Video |
| Aug. - Sept. | New Teacher Orientation | St. Thomas/St. Croix |
| September 1 | Mini Grant Application Deadline | St. Thomas |
| September 13 | General Meeting | St. Thomas/St. Croix by Video |
| September | Grant Workshop | St. Thomas |
| October | Arts and Humanities Festival | St. Thomas |
| October | Miniquest | St. Thomas, St. Croix |
| November 1 | Major & Mini Grant Application Deadline/ Draft 2009 Annual Report |
St. Thomas |
| November 6-8 | National Humanities Conference/ Draft 2009 Annual Report |
|
| December 4-5 | Annual Retreat | St. Croix |
We The People
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the Virgin Islands Humanities Council a grant of $51,280 in September 2007 in support of its "We The People" initiative to encourage and strengthen the teaching and understanding of American history and culture through which we ultimately define ourselves as Americans.
National Champion Shawntay Henry
The Council's WTP 2008 project was entitled Virgin Islands Voices: A Literary and Spoken Word Festival. United States Virgin Islanders have always had a powerful spoken word tradition articulated through art forms such as cariso, quelbe, and calypso songs which served as outlets for social commentary.
During the two-day festival held from October 3 to 4 at the University of the Virgin Islands, nearly 300 persons, including students and community elders, drew on this rich legacy to express themselves through poetry, storytelling, and dramatization.
Paul Keens-Douglas
Keynote speaker Paul Keens-Douglas, captured the hearts of his audience, blending humor, Trinbagonian dialect, and his superb storytelling skills to motivate others to tap into their imagination and write. Douglas spoke on the theme of "Discovering Your Voice Beyond the Spoken Word" during his address and later led a workshop on playwriting techniques.
Keens-Douglas' presentation was one of several interactive workshops held during the event, which included educational displays and a lecture in recognition of prolific Virgin Islands writers abroad, who retain their memory of home through their oral and written work, bringing major importance to issues concerning literacy and cultural expression of Virgin Islanders.
The event showcased writers, literary organizations and books about the Virgin Islands which were showcased through informal discussions with a combination of storytellers, illustrators, playwrights, graphic artists, and children’s authors.
Daniel L. Heftel Lecture: "The Impact of Migration on a Writer’s Literary Voice"
Virgin Islands poets and lyricists affirmed themselves at a time when historical forces often suppressed them. As our writers migrated to the United States, their literary voices documented the social changes as they assimilated into a new society with their nostalgia for home.
Humanities scholars Tregenza Roach, Ruby Simmonds-Esannason, and Vincent Cooper spoke to the theme of migration in a panel discussion moderated by Roberta Knowles during the Daniel L. Heftel Lecture held October 4 at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas campus. Presenters discussed the work of several Virgin Islands authors, including Habib Tiwoni and Tiphanie Yanique, who have migrated to the United States with strong memories of home that continue to influence their literary voice. The Heftel series was established in 1990 in honor of civic leader and Council cofounder, Daniel L. Heftel. Its goal is to provide a forum for exploring humanities
Humanist Award Recipient
Later in the program, Council board member Alscess Lewis-Brown presented the Humanist Award posthumously to Barbara T. Christian, a distinguished professor and pioneer of contemporary African-American women’s literature. Her sister, Cora Christian, accepted the award on her behalf.
A trail-blazing professor of African-American studies and a pioneer of contemporary American literary feminism, Barbara T. Christian was born on St. Thomas on December 12, 1943, to Judge Alphonso and Ruth Christian. She died on June 25, 2000, at the age of 56. The author and editor of several books and nearly a hundred published articles and reviews, Christian was best known for her landmark study, Black Women Novelists: The Development of a Tradition, 1872-1976. Published in 1980, it helped to revive the work of important writers such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen.
Christian became known for her critical presence in the growing debates over the inter-relationships of race, class and gender. Her widely cited article, "The Race for Theory," challenged the increasing domination of African American literary study by theorists at the expense of other black writers. She followed her passion for literature, graduating cum laude in 1963 from Marquette University in Wisconsin. She then went on to Columbia University, where in 1970 she earned a doctorate with distinction in contemporary British and American writing. In 1971, she joined the faculty at University of California, Berkeley, where she developed the Department of Afro-American Studies into a worldclass field of study.
"What I write and how I write is done in order to save my life. And I mean that literally. For me literature is a way of knowing that I am not hallucinating, that whatever I feel/know is. It is an affirmation that sensuality is intelligence, that sensual language is language that makes sense.
Barbara Christian, "The Race for Theory"
Heath Award for Teaching Excellence
In memory of Mrs. Geraldine Heath
September 9, 1928 - December 21, 2005
Mrs. Heath’s passion to educate and empower others continues to thrive through the Heath Award for Teaching Excellence
The Heath Award, established in 2003, recognizes the achievement of two public school teachers of grades K–12, one from the St. Thomas- St. John district and the other from the St. Croix district, who have exhibited outstanding ability and unfailing dedication to teaching the humanities. Each winner receives a $1,000 cash prize.
2008 Heath Award Recipients
Lisa Etre's life reflects her commitment to nurturing, directing, and educating youth through art that depicts Caribbean history and culture. She has produced annual youth art exhibits and has facilitated the production, merchandising, and sale of her students’ artwork — creating an avenue for student earned income, student art scholarships and the art department of Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. She is an alumnus of American University in Washington, D.C. and has completed graduate studies at El Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and the University of New Mexico. Her artwork has been featured in Island Magazine and on the Cosby Show.
Cedelle Petersen-Christopher has 18 years of contribution to the humanities as a former teacher and current librarian. Known as a local storyteller, Petersen- Christopher promotes literacy and the preservation of Virgin Islands culture. She often shares her skills of puppetry, singing, dancing, and acting with her students at Claude O. Markoe Elementary School on St. Croix, as well as the wider community. Petersen- Christopher participates annually in the re-enactment of the Fireburn of 1878, sings traditional Virgin Islands cariso, and teaches fourth to sixth graders how to read on her Saturday radio program. She has a master of arts degree in library science from Cambridge College in Massachusetts, and a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from the University of the Virgin Islands.
Community Grants Program
Over the course of its 2008 fiscal year, the V.I. Humanities Council awarded $65,695 to eight organizations in the territory. The council awards grants to non-profit organizations six times a year for projects that examine the cultural heritage of the Virgin Islands.
Major Grants Awards
The Women’s Coalition of St. Croix was awarded $8,100 for "A History of Me." The pre-performance of "Square Peg Syndrome" and series of hiphop-inspired workshops for students and teachers shares oral history and philosophy about the Virgin Islands.
Project Director: Sue Diverio.
Strength to Strength was awarded $10,000 to research, film, document, and edit a marketable trailer for "Liberated Minds." The film traces the concept of mental slavery from Ghana, Denmark, and now as it has developed in the Virgin Islands. Project Director: Oliver Harboe.
The St. John Foundation of the Virgin Islands was awarded $9,350 for Celebrating Our Ancestors Kulu Mele, the theme for the 17th annual Folk Life Festival. The event included a lecture and discussion on Virgin Islands’ icon Edward Wilmot Blyden, and workshops in West African dance by Kulu Mele. A link between the traditional bamboula dance, Moko Jumbie performance, and Virgin Islands heritage was established. Project Director: Denise Georges.
The Island Center of St. Croix was awarded $10,000 for Listen and Learn at the Center, a workshop series led by local musicians and visiting professional entertainers in quelbe, keyboard, drumming, Afro-Caribbean dance, and including sound and lighting, with a focus on history and development of the art form. Project Director: Eugene Petersen.
The Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts was awarded $10,000 for "A Woman’s View of Frederiksted 1898-1913," an exhibition of 65 black and white historical photographs developed by Emilie Langkjaer in the current museum building. The project includes lectures by two Danish researchers, an intergenerational workshop, and art classes.
Project Director: Candia Atwater.
Mini Grants Award
The American Legion District No. 10 was awarded $3,495 for research and $3,500 for the production for Proudly We Served: Virgin Islands Veterans of World War II, a media project documenting Virgin Islands veterans' experiences with racial segregation.
Project Director: Joan Keenan.
Children learned how to write their own poetry, short stories, and plays, in the VISCWP Young Writers Camp, organized by Julius E. Sprauve School through a $3,500 grant. Project Director: Coreen Samuel.
Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts was awarded $3,500 for "Political & Cultural Critique of Colonial Art & Exhibition" with artists Luis Camnitzer and Selby Hickey leading discussions on how the arts can be used to express political viewpoints and the ways that culture impacts art and writing. Project Director: Candia Atwater.
Archival film footage, photographs and experimental film blended together in Maroon Mountain: Nanna Debois Buhl’s Virgin Islands Records, a presentation of recent artworks on colonial history and collective memory by the CMC Arts with the help of a $3,500 grant.
Project Director: Candia Atwater.
Teacher Incentive Grant Award
Central High School received $750 for students and chaperons to present literary dramatizations for the "'We the People' Book Club" held in May at the Reichhold Center for the Arts on St. Thomas. Project Director: Vanda Espinosa.
2008 VIHC Board of Directors
Sheena Conway, Esq. Chair, St. Thomas
Deverita Carty-Sturdivant, Esq., Vice Chair, St. Thomas
Elizabeth Rezende, Ph.D., Secretary, St. Croix
Oswin Sewer, Treasurer, St. John
Roberta Knowles, Ed.D., St.Croix
Annie Smith, St. Thomas
Alscess Lewis-Brown, St. Croix
Wanda Mills-Bocachica, Ph. D., St. Thomas
Percival Edwards, St. Croix
Dennis Parker, St. Thomas
Elaine Jacobs, St. Thomas
Yvonne Rivera, St. Croix
2008 VIHC Staff
Mabel J. Maduro, Executive Director
Ayesha Morris, Program Officer
Daphne O'Neal, Fiscal Officer
Mario Leonard, Development Officer
Tija Daley, Administrative Assistant
2008 Donors
Elizabeth Rezende
Alfred O. Heath
Edward York Genevieve Plunkett
Diana & Dennis Parker
Stanley Jones
Beverly J. Biziewski
Avelino Samuel
Ulla F. Muller
West Indian Company Ltd.
Oswin Sewer
Janet Cook-Rutnik
Marjorie A. Petersen
Erole M. Hobdy
Richard A. Schrader
Alaska Humanities Forum
Mr. & Mrs. Leo Sibilly
Yvonne Wells
Mr. & Mrs. William E. Gilbert
Deverita Carty-Sturdivant
Marilyn Kreke
Wanda Mills-Bocachica
V.I. Department of Tourism
Sheena Conway
2008 Festival Supporters
Festival Supporters
National Endowment for the Humanities
University of the Virgin Islands
V.I. Department of Tourism
West Indian Company Ltd.
Virgin Islands Council on the Arts
Division of Cultural Education
The Kreke Corporation
Emerald Beach Resort
Island Beachcomber
Charlotte Amalie High School
Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral School
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
All Saints Cathedral School
THANKS FOR JOINING US AS WE CONTINUE TO:
- Tell our stories
- Preserve our traditions and
- Develop an informed citizenry