A hundred and fifty-two years after thousands of enslaved Africans demanded their freedom before the walls of Fort Frederik in Frederiksted, a sparse audience showed up to commemorate the occasion.
On July 3, 1848, about 7,000 slaves from hundreds of St. Croix estates rose up in protest against the Danish government and planters, demanding their freedom. By proclamation of Gov. Peter von Scholten they received it.
On Monday, some 50 people went to Frederiksted to listen to a host of public officials on the 152nd anniversary of the Emancipation Day.
Gov. Charles Turnbull, a history professor before becoming governor, urged Virgin Islanders to work together in solving the territory’s economic problems. He said that if the ancestors of present-day Virgin Islanders could overcome slavery, then today’s island residents can overcome their challenges.
"If we are going to emancipate ourselves from mental and spiritual slavery, we’re going to have to love ourselves and each other," Turnbull said.
Still, the governor said the sparse turnout Monday demonstrated that more attention needs to be given to the Virgin Islands’ history. He noted that even 50 years after the transfer of the Danish West Indies to the United States in 1917, Emancipation Day wasn’t officially recognized. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that former Sen. Alex Moorhead, now a vice president at HOVENSA, led a move to have the day celebrated.
"It’s still not celebrated the way it should be," Turnbull said, noting his small audience in Frederiksted’s Buddhoe Park, named after one of the main leaders of the 1848 rebellion.
"We need to know our own history," Turnbull said. "At this point in time the history of the Virgin Islands has been well documented, but there is still more to be discovered."

St. John Festival sporting events had a hard time making it to the finish line on St. John this weekend – with a cancellation in one case and an unexpectedly small turnout in the other.
The half-mile festival swim competition scheduled for Sunday morning from Hawksnest Beach to Gibney Beach didn't happen. Organizer Peter Alter, who had successfully staged similar events as part of St. John's carnival celebration for the previous two years, said V.I. National Park officials gave it a thumbs-down this year.
"The National Park Service required that we have a $1 million liability insurance policy," he said, and he wasn't able to get one.
A week earlier, on June 25, Alter successfully put together a 1.25-mile swimming competition at Maho Bay for the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee. He said park officials had already signed the permits for that event, so they allowed it to go ahead; but since the permits for the Fourth of July Celebration swim were not signed, they drew the line there.
For Sunday's swim, "We weren't going to do anything different from what people do out in the water every day," Alter said, "and we would have taken all the necessary precautions." For the Olympic event, he said, "We had qualified medical and safety people – St. John Rescue members, nurses – out in the water in kayaks and even a couple of power boats."
He said he understands that federal agencies have to go by the books, but he hopes to find a way to bring the swim event back to the festival lineup next year.
Meanwhile, also Sunday morning, in Cruz Bay harbor, the St. John Festival boat race consisted of two heats of two boats each after a number of expected competitors failed to appear.
The St. John entry, On The Edge, beat out a St. Thomas boat, Catastrophe, for the Lieutenant Governor's Cup. Two entries from the British Virgin Islands vied for the Governor's Cup, with Just Kats beating Top That for the top prize.
Lewis "Mel" Williams has been organizing the festival boat races since the early 1990s. While he was disappointed by the small turnout this year, he said, he intends to start planning the Festival 2001 event right away – and will try to attract some entries from neighboring Puerto Rico, which sends racing boats to compete in the V.I. Carnival races in St. Thomas harbor every year.

Festival sporting events had a hard time making it to the finish line on St. John this weekend – with a cancellation in one case and an unexpectedly small turnout in the other.
The half-mile festival swim competition scheduled for Sunday morning from Hawksnest Beach to Gibney Beach didn't happen. Organizer Peter Alter, who had successfully staged similar events as part of St. John's carnival celebration for the previous two years, said V.I. National Park officials gave it a thumbs-down this year.
"The National Park Service required that we have a $1 million liability insurance policy," he said, and he wasn't able to get one.
A week earlier, on June 25, Alter successfully put together a 1.25-mile swimming competition at Maho Bay for the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee. He said park officials had already signed the permits for that event, so they allowed it to go ahead; but since the permits for the Fourth of July Celebration swim were not signed, they drew the line there.
For Sunday's swim, "We weren't going to do anything different from what people do out in the water every day," Alter said, "and we would have taken all the necessary precautions." For the Olympic event, he said, "We had qualified medical and safety people – St. John Rescue members, nurses – out in the water in kayaks and even a couple of power boats."
He said he understands that federal agencies have to go by the books, but he hopes to find a way to bring the swim event back to the festival lineup next year.
Meanwhile, also Sunday morning, in Cruz Bay harbor, the St. John Festival boat race consisted of two heats of two boats each after a number of expected competitors failed to appear.
The St. John entry, On The Edge, beat out a St. Thomas boat, Catastrophe, for the Lieutenant Governor's Cup. Two entries from the British Virgin Islands vied for the Governor's Cup, with Just Kats beating Top That for the top prize.
Lewis "Mel" Williams has been organizing the festival boat races since the early 1990s. While he was disappointed by the small turnout this year, he said, he intends to start planning the Festival 2001 event right away – and will try to attract some entries from neighboring Puerto Rico, which sends racing boats to compete in the V.I. Carnival races in St. Thomas harbor every year.

A hundred and fifty-two years after thousands of enslaved Africans demanded their freedom before the walls of Fort Frederik in Frederiksted, a sparse audience showed up to commemorate the occasion.
On July 3, 1848, about 7,000 slaves from hundreds of St. Croix estates rose up in protest against the Danish government and planters, demanding their freedom. By proclamation of Gov. Peter von Scholten they received it.
On Monday, some 50 people went to Frederiksted to listen to a host of public officials on the 152nd anniversary of the Emancipation Day.
Gov. Charles Turnbull, a history professor before becoming governor, urged Virgin Islanders to work together in solving the territory’s economic problems. He said that if the ancestors of present-day Virgin Islanders could overcome slavery, then today’s island residents can overcome their challenges.
"If we are going to emancipate ourselves from mental and spiritual slavery, we’re going to have to love ourselves and each other," Turnbull said.
Still, the governor said the sparse turnout Monday demonstrated that more attention needs to be given to the Virgin Islands’ history. He noted that even 50 years after the transfer of the Danish West Indies to the United States in 1917, Emancipation Day wasn’t officially recognized. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that former Sen. Alex Moorhead, now a vice president at HOVENSA, led a move to have the day celebrated.
"It’s still not celebrated the way it should be," Turnbull said, noting his small audience in Frederiksted’s Buddhoe Park, named after one of the main leaders of the 1848 rebellion.
"We need to know our own history," Turnbull said. "At this point in time the history of the Virgin Islands has been well documented, but there is still more to be discovered."

The 2000 Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament is slated for Sunday, July 16. This year's competition promises to be more exciting than ever with big prizes and fun for the entire family. Fishing starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends at 12 noon, sharp.
From noon until 2 p.m., while the weigh-master and judges go to work, all anglers can quench their thirst at either a Coors Light or Snapple open bar, depending on age.
Anglers of all skill levels are invited to enter, and everyone comes away a winner, according to tournament director Monica Lester.
"We're expecting more than 350 anglers this year and are grateful for the positive response we've received from all our sponsors," she said.
Also thanks to the generosity of sponsors, entry fees are low – $35 for adults, $20 for juniors ages 8 to 16, Lester said.
Coors Light and Snapple, distributed by Bellows International Ltd., are once again on board as Gold Sponsor of the event. Bellows has donated over $68,000 in cash and product over the last ten years, according to a release from the organizers.
Silver Sponsor, Offshore Marine Services, is donating a Caribe C-9, 9-foot 1-inch, inflatable dinghy with 8HP Yamaha engine for the Best Captain.
Bronze Sponsors are FedEx – which is providing angler hats, a live radio broadcast on WVWI Radio One and the $750 cash prize for Second Largest Kingfish, and Vitel Cellular – which is donating the $2000 Largest Kingfish cash prize.
All anglers will receive an official Bastille Day/Guy Harvey T-shirt thanks to the combined sponsorship support of Coors Light, distributed by Bellows International, Offshore Marine and FedEx.
In addition, several local resorts and hotels have donated overnight stays along with dinner for two, and local restaurateurs have also contributed dinners for two. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is giving away a week's cruise for two, while U.S. Airways is donating two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the airline's route of service.
First organized by the Northside Sportfishing Club in 1987, the tournament benefits the Joseph Sibilly School, St. Thomas Rescue, The American Red Cross and The Victim's Advocate Program. Anglers from throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands participate in the event, as one of many activities celebrating French Heritage Week.
There will be drink, food and music throughout the afternoon for community spectators who come down to see the catch and catch the fun for the day.
Generous sponsor support also enables the Tournament to reward anglers catching the largest kingfish, but also those reeling in the Largest Jack, Largest Barracuda, Largest Bonito, Largest Tuna, Largest Mackerel and Largest Dolphin. In addition to Best Captain, there are also prizes for Best Boat, Best Female Angler, Best Male Angler, Best Junior Female Angler and Best Junior Male Angler!
A Captain's Meeting and Registration will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Larry's Hull Bay Hideaway on Friday July 14. Entry forms can also be obtained from E&M Grocery, Bryan's Electrical and Neptune Fishing Supplies.
The awards ceremony starts at 8 p.m. at Larry's Hull Bay Hideaway.

Pistarckle Theater presents its 2000 Children's Summer Camp production, a dramatization of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic, "The Hobbit." Performances will take place in the company's air-conditioned theater in Tillett Gardens.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for children 12 and under.
The final two performances are at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 8, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 9. For reservations and credit card purchases, call 775-7877.

Pistarckle Theater presents its 2000 Children's Summer Camp production, a dramatization of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic, "The Hobbit." Performances will take place in the company's air-conditioned theater in Tillett Gardens.
Thursday, July 6, at 8 p.m. is "pay-as-you-can" night. Otherwise, tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for children 12 and under.
There will be regular performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 7 and 8, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 9. For reservations and credit card purchases, call 775-7877.

Pistarckle Theater presents its 2000 Children's Summer Camp production, a dramatization of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic, "The Hobbit." Performances will take place in the company's air-conditioned theater in Tillett Gardens.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for children 12 and under.
The final performance is at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 9. For reservations and credit card purchases, call 775-7877.

Pistarckle Theater presents its 2000 Children's Summer Camp production, a dramatization of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic, "The Hobbit." Performances will take place in the company's air-conditioned theater in Tillett Gardens.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for children 12 and under.
There will be performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 7 and 8, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 9. For reservations and credit card purchases, call 775-7877.

The St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council invites the public to its July "Arts After Dark" event — a visit to cartoonist Linda Smith-Palmer's digital video studio on St. John. She'll introduce visitors to the new world of Machineel Chutney DV Productions and share some information about the plans under way for St. John's first international arts festival.
The program is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For those traveling from St. Thomas, pick-up will be available at the Cruz Bay dock for the 5 p.m. ferry from Red Hook.
Studio space is limited, so those wishing to participate area asked to confirm this in advance by calling or faxing to 776-4812 or e-mailing to jetsinger@viaccess.net.