St. Thomas may see a statue erected in honor of the late, famed V.I. boxer Emile Griffith – and his childhood home may be listed as a landmark – if a bill approved in committee Tuesday is enacted into law and funds to pay for the stature are found.
Bill 30-0321 was proposed by Sen. Myron Jackson, chairman of the Culture, Historic Preservation, Youth and Recreation Committee, and says the commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation and the V.I. Council on the Arts will erect a life-size statue of the boxer at the Emile Griffith ballpark.
The bill calls for a statue in a fighting pose with boxing gloves, along with a plaque with historical details of Griffith’s life. And with the consent of the family, Planning and Natural Resources is to put Griffith’s childhood home – at No. 6 Princesse Gade, Crown Prince Quarter – in the V.I. Registry of Historic Places. It also creates a special fund for donations and government appropriations for the upkeep of the Griffith ballpark.
The Culture, Historic Preservation, Youth and Recreation Committee adopted an amendment from Jackson, increasing funding from $3,000 to $30,000.
Senators and Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner St. Claire Williams spoke fondly of Griffith and his legacy, and there was no opposition to a statue of the hometown hero. Williams and some senators raised questions as to if there would be funding available this year, in light of an unaddressed budget deficit.
Griffith was the first boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands to become a world champion. He turned pro in 1958 and retired in 1977 and, over a career of nearly two decades, he won the world welterweight title three times, the middleweight title twice and briefly held the junior middleweight title. (See related links below)
Griffith was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
Sadly he was best known for his 1962 bout against Benny Paret, because Paret died 10 days after Griffith pummeled him with a quick flurry of blows to the head in the ring at Madison Square Garden.
That tragic fight became the foundation for the 2005 documentary "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story."
Griffith passed away in 2013.
Voting to send the bill on for further consideration in the Rules and Judiciary Committee were Jackson, Sens. Kenneth Gittens, Tregenza Roach and Janette Millin Young. Sens. Shawn-Michael Malone, Terrence "Positive" Nelson and Nereida "Nellie" Rivera-O’Reilly were absent.
In the morning, the committee took testimony from an array of sports federations and sports and recreation officials regarding whether a V.I. national sports policy should be created. Commissioner Williams and others testified it would be beneficial to have an overall plan, with private organizations coordinating with government agencies.
A national sport policy should promote “sports for all” regardless of age, national origin, sexual orientation and so on, said Williams, who added his department endorses creating a policy.
No votes related to a sports policy were taken Tuesday.
