The sound of drums marked a call to local fathers Saturday afternoon, as scores of participants in the V.I. Father’s Walk made their way from Faith Christian Fellowship Church in Hidden Valley to Tutu Park Mall.
The drumbeats echoed off the walls of Tutu High Rise, walkers waved signs emblazoned with positive messages and traffic came to a halt as drivers stopped to watch the procession.
The march ended away from the August evening heat inside the mall, where a group of territory leaders and pastors exhorted fathers to make themselves a vital part of their childrens’ lives.
“The only way we are going to see change in this community is if fathers stand up,” said Gov. John deJongh Jr. He said that fathers are important – and called on attendees to let absentee dads know how very necessary they are. “Beat them up, push them and do whatever is necessary,” he said.
“We are going through challenging times in the community,” Rodney Querrard said. The police chief for the St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island district added, “And it is not financial, it is crime.”
He told parents that the increasing presence of gangs means they must take the time to know what their children are doing. He urged them to check their rooms and book bags for gang paraphernalia or even drugs and guns.
The walk was organized by Superior Court Judge James Carroll III. Carroll said he and his wife have been active in the fight against violence since they lost their son to in 2000.
He said this year’s gathering of over 100 walkers is nearly double the turnout last year.
“I’ll be happy when we get all the fathers in the territory to come,” he said.
President of the University of the Virgin Islands David Hall told young people “there is a seat at UVI with your name on it — and I don’t want anyone not to show up.”
He said a parent can set the course for his child’s educational future. “What you say can make a difference,” he said.
School Superintendent Jeannette Smith Barry called on parents to find positive ways to encourage their children. “Affirm the goodness of these children,” she said. She told parents they should listen when their children want to talk.
She also said “they can not come looking like thugs.” She said parents need to send their kids to school looking like ladies and gentlemen.
At the end of the walk, fathers took a pledge that they would not only accompany their child on the first day of school, they would remain active by meeting with teachers and volunteering throughout the year.
Boaze Burton Callwood took the pledge to do so for his daughter, a freshman at Charlotte Amalie High School. He said his relationship with his daughter has grown somewhat distant, and is looking forward to being more involved in her school life. “Like the governor said, it’s a clean slate,” he said.
