Guest editorial

Virgin Islanders read recently of the decision to delay Gov. JohndeJongh's visit to Denmark. While there exist many reasons for thispostponement, I believe the decision to arrange a later departuredate was made in the best interest of all Virgin Islanders, Danesand concerned parties.

I am hopeful the delay will provide an opportunity for thegovernor to take a closer look, and perhaps for us all, a chance toconduct a more thorough analysis of the issues hedging the path onetravels from Charlotte Amalie to Copenhagen, from the shores of anhistorical slave colony to the government halls and commercial boardrooms of its former colonizer.

There are those who are supporting Government House's positionthat discussion on reparations between the Danish government and theU.S. Virgin Islands government is not necessary. As has been statedfrom this viewpoint to engage the Danish government in such mannerwould be counterproductive.

From another perspective, looking at our relationship with agovernment historically documented to hold the seventh leading placeas a slave-trading nation, there are a great number of VirginIslanders and Danes alike feeling strongly that "reparations" shouldbe top priority on the governor's list of talking points when hemeets with Danish officials.

In this view, and given the many crimes against humanityperpetrated on these shores against the forebears of today's VirginIslanders, it would be absolutely remiss of a V.I. delegation totravel to Denmark and dismiss as insignificant the manyaccomplishments which are the fruit and labor of generations ofdedicated Virgin Islanders committed to repairing our humanity andto the redressing of our historical relationship with Denmark.

Today, these things speak loudly and include the historic visitof the official V.I. delegation to Denmark in April 2005 initiatingthe dialogue on repair; the accompanying Memorandum of Understandingwith the Danish Institute for Human Rights establishing a joint taskforce of Danish and Virgin Islands organizations; a resolution inour 26th Legislature endorsing these efforts and requestingrecommendations from Government House; consecutive annuallegislative appropriations made to further the V.I. reparationsmovement; thousands of attendees at educational forums at home andin Denmark; the achievement of Danish community support for the V.I.initiatives; entries on Internet blog sites, multimediapublications, and more than 300 news articles written in the localand international press on the matter of reparations and the VirginIslands.

For many observers, these things converge to support andencourage this position.

It is important to find common ground that will unite our viewsand allow these historic Virgin Islands achievements to be builtupon in a manner that will be the interests of Government House andsupport Gov. deJongh when he travels to Denmark on our behalf.

We remain encouraged each day that we step closer in thedirection of our historical repair. In a day and age when Gov.Charlie Crist, a white, Republican governor in the South, can standwith integrity in the Florida State Legislature proclaiming "itmight be time to investigate whether the state should pursue furtherreparations for slavery" - we are confident that the days when suchconversations were unthinkable are long gone, and that politicalcorrectness will find its way to endorse the dialogue on repair.

We see the delay in the governor's delegation to Denmark as anopportunity for the African-Caribbean Reparations and ResettlementAlliance (ACRRA) to ask Gov. deJongh to revisit his position onreleasing the funding appropriated to the organization in his 2008fiscal year executive budget. Additionally, in an effort to movetoward highlighting relative principles upon which Virgin Islandersare likely to agree, I have made a formal request to meet with thegovernor to discuss these and other relevant matters.

As a matter of update, more than half way into the fiscal year,despite the withholding of ACRRA's funding, sustained communitysupport and interest have resulted in a number of local educationalseminars at the junior high and high school levels in public andprivate schools. A guest presentation in PowerPoint format to anhumanities class at the University of the Virgin Islands duringBlack History Month was well received.

An historical hike to Maroon Ridge with more than a dozenAfricana Studies students visiting St. Croix from Rutgers Universityin New Jersey during Virgin Islands History Month was videotaped forstateside release.

A visit to the territory by Queen Mother Dorothy Lewis - afounder and executive committee member of the National Coalition ofBlacks for Reparations in America, and her related participation ina pre-Transfer Day forum on St. John - was well publicized and wellattended. The March 30th event succeeded in provoking thought onrelevant issues and in educating people regarding the 1917 sale ofthe Virgin Islands.

While the journey to repair in 2008 for ACRRA has been met withchallenge, the organization remains unashamedly trained on ourdestination.

Shelley Moorhead, president of ACRRA, lives on St. Croix.