Op-ed

Though the stadium erupted as the Knicks and their fans celebrated, and the owners quickly acted to protect their money, beneath this excitement lies a crucial lesson: society often celebrates collective action in entertainment but fails to apply a similar level of engagement and responsibility to democratic life.

Through more than 29 books, Richard A. Schrader Sr. dedicated his life to preserving the stories, traditions, language, and history of the Virgin Islands. In this tribute, Geron A. W. Richards reflects on the cultural giant who inspired generations of Virgin Islanders and whose legacy continues to nourish the community long after his passing.

The death of 15-year-old Tre’Vante Etienne has left a family grieving and a community searching for answers. Former Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory writes that the Virgin Islands must respond with more than mourning—it must respond with action.

The story of American freedom is often told through 1776, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Juneteenth. But nearly two decades before emancipation reached the mainland, more than 9,000 enslaved laborers on St. Croix forced their own liberation at Fort Frederik.

All expenses of the baobab tree project in Grove Place were paid for by the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance organization, to install the benches, signage, and painting of poles along the road near the tree. However, my heart was broken when I learned that the property owner, Ms. Magdalene Edney, passed away. She never got a chance to see the baobab tree project completed. The signage and benches under the historic baobab tree in Grove Place are a tribute to her and her family.

In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.

The U.S. Virgin Islands has fewer than 100,000 residents spread across islands with expensive logistical realities. Everything costs more. Electricity costs more. Shipping costs more. Construction costs more. Healthcare costs more. Even governance itself costs more because duplication across islands becomes unavoidable. Meanwhile, the economy remains dangerously narrow.

I am telling the Virgin Islands public that Attorney David Bornn was a godsend to help protect Maroon Country by using his legal skills.

In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.

Election season is here but how effective are political parties in the USVI? Are they vetting candidates, building coherent policy platforms, and helping produce good governance — or do they need major reform?

For many of us, hurricane preparation is not just a checklist, but an emotional process. It brings back memories of long lines, hot nights without power, cold showers, damaged roofs, blocked roads, lost workdays, and the deep uncertainty that comes after a major storm. So yes, preparedness begins at home; but, in the Virgin Islands, it cannot and should not end there.

April is the month where the monstrous leatherback sea turtles come onto our shores to lay their eggs, particularly on the island of St. Croix. Like the leatherback sea turtles, one of our rarest, beautiful wildflowers in the Virgin Islands, known as Watapama or Wattapania, which loves our dry weather, comes into bloom.

In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.

If you want to do something heroic this election cycle, start with mothers. Put us at the forefront of your platforms. Then follow through. The way we support mothers during the earliest stages of parenthood eventually echoes throughout the entire society.

The DPVI reaffirmed that democracy does not begin at the general election, but at the primary—where voters first exercise their choice and political parties fulfill their role in the democratic process.

A lifetime of being labeled “too much” finally had a name. In this powerful op-ed, Michele L. Weichman shares how undiagnosed mental illness, stigma, and workplace discrimination shaped her life — and why silence is no longer an option.

In 2023, there were five of us representing the Virgin Islands — one from St. Thomas and four from St. Croix. It was a proud moment to stand together, united in advocacy and committed to ensuring that our voices were part of the national conversation. In 2024, I found myself alone. I was the only voice representing the U.S. Virgin Islands. While that reality could have felt isolating, it instead strengthened my resolve. I understood more clearly than ever that showing up matters. If you are not at the table, no one knows what you want.

A student production of Hadestown turns an ancient myth into a striking reflection of today’s world, blending love, loss and climate anxiety into a performance that leaves one question lingering: can hope survive doubt?

If you are paying attention this year, there are not a lot of mango trees flowering. You (Virgin Islands residents) probably didn’t notice that with the many issues our global community is facing these days, who has paid attention to if a mango tree is blossoming or not? We are in April, and soon it will be hurricane season. However, the greatest teacher of humankind is the environment.

How long do WAPA and the government expect residents to bear the mental, physical and financial cost of a poorly maintained, dilapidated monopoly that has failed them for generations and squandered taxpayers’ money through mismanagement and bad contracts without accountability?