ST. CROIX — Hundreds gathered Sunday at D. Hamilton Jackson Park in Estate Grove Place to celebrate his life and legacy during the annual Liberty Day commemoration, with speakers urging Virgin Islanders to carry forward his fight for freedom, representation, workers’ rights, and self-determination.
Organized by volunteers with the Grove Place Action Committee, the annual observance honors Jackson, an educator, lawyer, federal judge, pioneer of the free press, and labor rights advocate who lived from September 28, 1884, to May 30, 1946.
The celebration featured performances by the Sparkle Lite Twirlers and Bomb Squad Dancers, while the Superior Court Rising Stars Steel Youth Orchestra performed at the end. There was also entertainment by Mind, Body & Soul, as well as DJ Karl & Selecta Kuff.
With the hot sun beaming down, attendees filled in the shady spots under the almond trees scattered in the park as they sat in chairs or stood in social circles. With the general election approaching Tuesday, campaigning was evident throughout the gathering, but Plaskett-Potter supporters appeared to be the dominant presence, making themselves known in coordinated campaign T-shirts.
Jackson established the St. Croix Labor Union in 1915 and published the first edition of The Herald on November 1, 1915, helping advance freedom of the press in the former Danish West Indies. His contributions are commemorated annually on Liberty Day, also known as D. Hamilton Jackson Day and Bull and Bread Day.
Jaynilah Williams, president of the Grove Place Action Committee, welcomed attendees and described the gathering as a “celebration of history, culture, freedom, and liberty.”
Percival Edwards, who delivered the keynote address for the second consecutive year, called for greater resources to protect the community’s historical legacy and property.
“Grove Place Action Committee should have a fully functional office with a secretary and legal counsel to review all St. Croix labor union property and assets,” he said.
Edwards also pointed to omissions on the Historic Preservation Office website, which he said did not include Estate Grove Place and Estate Bethlehem among its heritage places and points of interest.
“This has got to be corrected,” he said.
Edwards recounted Jackson’s role in organizing workers and the 1916 labor strike, which he said lasted six weeks and resulted in improved wages and working conditions.
“The strike was a victory that resulted in the wage increase from 20 cents a day to 35 cents a day, and workdays were shortened to nine hours a day,” he said. “Weekends were given off, and there were other benefits because of David Hamilton Jackson’s leadership.”
Edwards urged residents to recognize the value of their history and property and to continue advocating for the community.
“We can no longer continue to advance our island and our needs as though we don’t understand our value,” he said. “We must stand up with an understanding of value to fight for what is right for people over politics. So, my friends, in the words of David Hamilton Jackson, ‘do my people, do.’”
Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett told attendees the commemoration would be among her final public remarks as “your humble representative to Congress.” She recalled Jackson’s trip to Denmark to advocate for freedom of the press, noting that people in the Danish West Indies could not publish independent newspapers without government permission.
“What he had was a conviction that his people deserved better, and that courage to say so out loud in the face of power at a real personal cost,” she said. “He did not stop at the press for us. He organized the St. Croix Labor Union. He stood with workers who were paid pennies for backbreaking labor and told them plainly that their work was worth and their voices mattered.”
Plaskett noted Jackson served as a teacher, lawyer, and judge.
“The one constant through every chapter of his life was this: the dignity of every Virgin Islander was not negotiable,” she said.
Plaskett connected Jackson’s legacy to her work in Congress, including advocating for federal disaster recovery funding and holding government officials accountable.
“When I fight for our share of disaster recovery dollars, when I check other members trying to diminish my and therefore your intellect, or when I prosecute corruption at the pinnacle of our government, I am not doing anything new that has not been done by Virgin Islanders,” she said. “I am doing what our forefather D. Hamilton Jackson taught us to do. I am refusing to accept that our people are owed less because of where we live, and that we fear no man, no man.”
She urged residents to make Jackson’s legacy an active part of their civic lives, including by supporting local journalism and verifying information before sharing it.
“Jackson’s legacy does not need our admiration; it needs our participation,” she said. “A free press survives only if people use it.”
Plaskett said Liberty Day should also prompt residents to consider who is heard, who holds power accountable, and how Virgin Islanders can continue shaping their own future.
Senate President Milton Potter recalled the November 1, 1915, gathering in Grove Place, when workers demanded dignity, fair wages, and the freedom to choose their employers. He connected their demands to the importance of having a voice in government.
“That day belongs to one man more than any other: David Hamilton Jackson, a Frederiksted son, a teacher, a journalist, and a fearless voice for the people,” Potter said. “He gave Crucians a newspaper to tell their own story, and he gave them courage when it was needed most.”
The observance also continued the Bull and Bread Day tradition, with volunteers serving 700 pounds of beef and bread to attendees. The tradition is commonly traced to the community celebration that followed Jackson’s publication of the first edition of The Herald in 1915.
