Can a U.S. Virgin Islander Run for President?

By Indeyah Todman (STX-September 23, 2022) “I’m going to be president when I grow up!”, said a curiously confident 5-year-old as she skipped along the Cramer’s Park beach with her grandmother. Her grandmother laughed with amusement at the little girl’s bold statement. “Why do you want to be president, Indeyah?”, she asked with a smile. …

The Young African Leaders Initiative is Set to Expand from a $100 Million Investment

By Kyra Edwards (STX-February 4, 2023) The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is set to receive an investment of more than $100 million, says Vice President Kamala Harris at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022. The YALI was launched in 2010 and is the United States’ primary project to support the next generation of …

The Significance of Carnival and Festival in the Virgin Islands

By Gimel Pinto (STT-January 4,  2022) Many people outside of the Caribbean see the enthusiasm that carnivals and festivals provide. Still, the natural origins of Caribbean carnivals and festivals lie in the colonization and religious conversion that took place when European explorers made their way to the region. Today, it is a celebration and occasion …

Student Spotlight – UVIABJ President Michael Bell

UVI shines a spotlight on University Communications Major Michael Bell. Michael is from St. Croix and joined UVI in 2019 as a student in the Summer Bridge program which prepares high school graduates for the expectations of college. Since then, he has been on the Dean’s List four times, is President of the UVI Association …

UVI Students Serve as HBCU-Africa Correspondents Corps Student Reporters

Gimel Pinto and Kyra Edwards, communication major and minor, respectively, were selected from a host of undergraduates across the nation to serve as student reporters for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)-Africa Correspondents Corps (HBCU-ACC). The new initiative aims to provide student journalists and political scientists attending HBCUs with professional development exposure and experience beneficial to …

VI Grammy Goes to… the Next Generation 

By Caleisha Simon  (STT-November 30, 2022) Four Virgin Islands artists and creators have made history yet again by totaling 11 Grammy Award nominations in 2022. Announced on Nov. 15, 2022, the Grammys blessed the Virgin Islands with nominations for several artists, including one half of the legendary Rock City—Theron Thomas, Verse Simmonds, Masai Harris, and …

2022 Journalism Summit: Time Capsule-Then and Now

(STX-December 10, 2022, staff). Local media joined a group of national and international guests invited by students of the University of the Virgin Islands Association of Black Journalists (UVIABJ) a successful virtual series of lectures, held last month via virtual format.  The 2022 UVIABJ Journalism summit, held its second two-day conference in an effort to …

Black Social Media Conveys Alertness on Shanquella Robinson Case

By Keanu Jacobs (STJ-November 2022) The power of black social media elevated and brought justice to Shanquella’s story. Social media users who used #SayHerName brought awareness to violence against Shanquella Robinson and her tragic loss on all media platforms. According to an NBC News reporter, Robinson’s mother, Salamandra, is thanking Black users on Twitter, TikTok, …