[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 2, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H1212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  USVI HISTORY MONTH: THEME OF FIRSTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying that I am a proud 
Virgin Islander. I stand on the shoulders of strong Virgin Islanders 
who came before me and who are known for their courage, leadership, 
sacrifice, and, most importantly, their resilience. We are known for so 
much more than just white sandy beaches and as a popular vacation 
destination. We are made of culture-rich lands and a diverse history.
  March is Virgin Islands History Month. Though not always pretty, 
there is great beauty in our past that has shaped the Virgin Islands of 
our present. Like most Caribbean countries, the Virgin Islands' 
history, too, begins with the story of pre-Columbian inhabitants of the 
islands and of slavery.
  Almost 3,000 years prior to Christopher Columbus landing in 1493, 
Native American tribes, such as the Ciboney, the Caribs, and the Arawak 
Indians, have long inhabited the islands.
  In 1493, when Columbus attempted to land on the island that I live 
on, St. Croix, he was repelled at Salt River, where he met the Carib 
Indians who kept him and his troops from landing and making landfall 
there.
  The period of Columbus' visit ultimately set the course for seven 
other European flags to claim the Virgin Islands and, unfortunately, 
brought demise to the indigenous people.
  Today, they are found on reserved lands, and only for a few islands, 
and no longer exist in the Virgin Islands.
  Much of our global history was built upon slavery and colonization, 
especially in the Caribbean islands. By the early 1700s, the Virgin 
Islands was no stranger to enslavement and European colonization.
  On the island of St. John, a Ghanaian by the name of Breffu is 
credited with leading the first and one of the longest-lasting 
rebellions in the Americas on the island of St. John. She empowered 
more than 150 enslaved Africans to fight for their freedom and held 
that island for over 6 months, where the Danes had to bring in the 
Spanish Armada and the French fleet to get the slaves back in line.
  Several years, almost a century, later, in 1848 on the island of St. 
Croix, slaves led a rebellion, an armed insurrection, which led to the 
emancipation--15 years before the United States emancipation. The 
Virgin Islands and Haiti are the only two places to gain freedom 
through violent overthrow.
  The celebration of V.I. Emancipation Day on July 3 marks this day. 
Virgin Islands' history does not end with just the bleak stories of 
European colonialism and forced slavery. We have so many celebrated 
heroes, from individuals who were the founders of San Francisco; 
Denmark Vesey, who led the rebellion in South Carolina; Hubert 
Harrison, the great socialist mind who was the thought leader for 
Marcus Garvey; Edward Wilmoth Blyden, who was the founder of Pan-
Africanism; Nella Larsen, one of the Harlem Renaissance writers; Ruby 
Rouss, who was an aide-de-camp to Eisenhower; Sam Ebbesen, a general 
and friend of Colin Powell.
  Without that history and those individuals, we would not be the 
Virgin Islands we are today, which I am proud to represent and call my 
home and my heritage.
  Throughout the month of March, let us celebrate our heritage and our 
history and look to our future.
  Happy Virgin Islands History Month.

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