Frederiksted was filled with the sounds of drums and chants Wednesday as hundreds came out to "reclaim the streets" in protest against increasing gun violence and murder.
Many in the crowd had T-shirts and banners commemorating family members and friends who have been killed on St. Croix.
Clintona Heywood of Frederiksted carried a placard with the names of 34 murder victims (both male and female) and the dates on which their lives were cut short. The oldest murder dated back to 2005.
The mother, sisters, cousins and nephews of Hernan "Puchy" Santos, shot and killed in Frederiksted Feb. 27 of this year, marched behind a banner with a photo of their lost loved one.
"Everyone knew my brother, he was well liked, he had a shop in town," said Lizette Santos, holding one end of the banner. "This march is good. It should happen more often and more people should come out and let the community know we are tired of all the senseless violence."
The march, organized by Frederiksted native Jamila Russell and some friends, wound from Claude O. Markoe Elementary to Buddhoe Park. Using a microphone and loudspeakers mounted on Sen. Terrence "Positive" Nelson’s easily identified truck, Russell led a mass chant of "reclaim our streets, unit our people."
Ras Lumumba blew the conch shell, Wayne "Bully" Petersen, Hugh Clarke, Wilfred "Juni Bomba" Allick and other well-known Frederiksted musicians beat the drums, played the flute and blew whistles, while icon of St. Croix culture Asta Williams and others masqueraded in old-time fashion.
"We are masquerading to show the young people there are other actions they can get involved with instead of violence," Petersen said. "They can get involved with after-school programs, and in cultural activities. This is our culture, this is the spirit of our ancestors, not violence."
In between chants, Russell used the microphone to talk about the need for community programs, for better libraries with more books and more programs, and for people to take a more public, outspoken stance against crime. She let people in the crowd come and take the microphone and express whatever they felt appropriate, too.
"This is a march for peace and harmony and to support harmony in our home," said Nelson to the crowd.
Claude O. Markoe elementary teacher Aisha Williams was marching with members of her fourth-grade class, all wearing yellow anti-violence T-shirts.
"A lot of us in the community have experienced violence firsthand," Williams said.
"We need to take a stand. Fourteen of my students decided to be a part, and I am very proud of them for coming out."
Several in the crowed credited radio host Mario Moorhead for using his daily call-in show to get the word out about the march.
With the sun blazing down, a number of parasols dotted the crowd, and Russell and her helpers passed out bottled water to the gathered mass of supporters as the march wound slowly down King Street.
Even as they marched, just a couple streets over, mourners filed into St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for the funeral of Vincent "Sensi" Johnson of Frederiksted, who was gunned down March 4.
Once at Buddhoe Park, the crowd enjoyed coconut pates, pastries water and fresh fruit donated by local businesses, while Russell and several speakers took turns at the rostrum in the park’s historic bandstand.
"We have already seen 21 homicides this year in the Virgin Islands," said V.I. Police Commissioner Novelle Francis. "It is unbelievable. There have been 11 on St. Croix and four within a few hundred yards of this very bandstand. Often the only motive we have found is they have been robbed of their jewelry and are either shot during the robbery or feel violated and want to strike back. … We intend to support this effort all the way."
Russell told the crowd she agonized over the simple task of picking a color for T-shirts and balloons for the march.
"Every color I picked, someone reminded me it represented one gang or another on St. Croix," she said. "We never had gangs when I was in school. That is not our culture. We belong to the U.S., but we are not part of the U.S., and we need to take what is good and leave the rest. In the Virgin Islands, we are not Bloods and Crips."
Russell introduced St. Croix conscious reggae vocalist Mada Nile, joking she was "my official hair braider." Nile spoke briefly, sang a brand new song, then a long, soulful rendition of "Like to See" off her first album, "On My Way."
"I would like to see more love and unity," she sang. "Don’t want no more war, don’t want no more blood running in the streets … I would love to see the hungry get food to eat, I would love to see the homeless off the streets …." At times she choked up while singing.
Shalimar Hodge of the St. Croix Women’s Coalition, radio show host Rashidi Clenance and others also took a spot at the microphone. When the ceremonies ended, the crowd adjourned to the Frederiksted beach for a family-friendly afternoon of music and food.
