1733 Commemorative Hike & Tour
(November 2018 & 2019) St. JanCo worked with Dr. Gilbert Sprauve — one of our esteemed USVI griots — Delroy Anthony, Ronnie Jones, Pam Richards-Samuel, Sele Adeyemi, Anna Francis, and Leba Ola-Niyi to record, facilitate, and participate in the annual 1733 Fortsberg Educational Tour. Mainly, St.JanCo aims to inspire opportunities for inter-generational engagement with our histories and build an archive for future generations.
Anansi Storytelling
(November 18, 2018) We celebrated VI history, culture, and identity. Freedom month kicked off with the live performance of traditional Anansi stories for children at the St. John School of the Arts in Cruz Bay, St. John. Leading us were some of our greatest griot’s to include Dr. Gilbert Sprauve, Mrs. Faye Fredericks, Mrs. Patrice Harley, and Mr. Eddie Bruce. Anansi Stories are a popular form of traditional storytelling across the African Diaspora. This series intends to keep this oral culture alive through sharing a day of fun, moral lessons, and traditional knowledge with the young people of St. John.
Freedom in the Virgin Islands
(November 30, 2018) as a part of our "Freedom Month Series" St.JanCo hosted a panel discussion on Freedom in the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Bajo El Sol Gallery. Panelists included:
Dr. Marilyn Krigger: Professor Emerita at the University of the Virgin Islands and author of the book, "Race Relations in the U.S. Virgin Islands."
Dr. Hadiya Sewer: Visiting Scholar in the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and St. JanCo president.
Dr. ChenziRa Davis Kahina: UVI Professor and Director of the Caribbean Cultural Center
Old-Time Masquerading
(December 23, 2018) Masquerading is a popular tradition across the Caribbean and other parts of the African Diaspora. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the practice goes back hundreds of years. We serenaded through the neighborhoods with local musicians, starting in front of Mongoose Junction.
James Weeks’ Book Signing
(April 27, 2019) The community joined us at Bajo El Sol Gallery for book signing of James Weeks' "Meditations Across the King's River: African Inspired Wisdom for Life's Journey." The author, originally from St. Croix, was present to answer questions and sign copies of his book, which were available for purchase.
Friends of the Park Community Matters Series
(2021-2022) In collaboration with The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, St.JanCo participated in a four-part series, moderated by our very own Dr. Hadiya Sewer (https://friendsvinp.org/community-seminars/).
(April 10, 2021) Caneel Bay Teach-In
(July 8, 2021) V.I. Creole: Language, Culture, and Freedom in the U.S. Virgin Islands
(November 4, 2021) Small Islands in the Anthropocene
(March 12, 2022) Caneel For The People: Reimagining Public Spaces
VISCO’s Inaugural Conference
(February 26, 2022) St.JanCo provided support to the Virgin Islands Studies Collective (VISCO) for their inaugural conference, “Engaging and Reimagining Virgin Islands Archives.” The conference was held at the University of the Virgin Islands and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, and the Offices of the President and the Provost at the University of the Virgin Islands. The event convened scholars, artists, activists and culture bearers in the Virgin Islands to grapple with knowledge production and the creation, maintenance, and limits of the territory’s archives. St.JanCo provided both logistical support and volunteers.
1733 Panel: Freedom & Blackness in St. John, USVI
(November 30, 2022) St.JanCo hosted a panel discussion on freedom and Blackness to commemorate the 1733 Revolution and Freedom Fighter’s Day. Our president, Hadiya Sewer, and vice president, Kurt Marsh Jr., moderated this panel discussion virtually via zoom. We were lucky enough to have two brilliant panelists, Dr. Holly Norton and Fran Mahon. Dr. Norton talked about her work on the significance of 1733, the geography of the resistance, and Queen Breffu as an important but often overlooked figure. Mr. Mahon discussed history, memory, and ecology when considering how we remember and commemorate rebellion and resistance on St. John. The recorded panel discussion can be found here.
St. John Arts Festival Virtual Zine
(February 26, 2023) St.JanCo released and hosted an in-person screening of the St. John Arts Festival Magazine, a locally produced magazine celebrating the artistry, craftsmanship, and creativity of the St. John community, at Bajo El Sol. The magazine was produced as part of the St. John Arts Festival schedule of events, which sought to highlight the arts in St. John in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and to establish a publicly accessible archive of virtual demonstrations, performances, and photos. Under the tutelage of St.JanCo and the project direction of Savannah Lyons Anthony, footage and photographs of cultural and artistic performances were assembled and interviews of culture bearers were conducted to maintain a digital record of the arts in St. John. Through this magazine, St.JanCo aims to honor the more than two-decade history of the St. John Arts Festival, while inviting this generation to carry the torch forward.
Mini Arts Festival
(March 26, 2023) In honor of the annual St. John Arts Festival, St.JanCo hosted a one-day Mini Arts Festival at the newly opened “Our Place” venue in Coral Bay. It was our first in-person festival since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Mini Arts Festival featured the arts, crafts and music of the Virgin Islands, such as pop-up wood turning, Bamboula dancing, Quelbe Resurrection, and Echo People, as well as delicious food and drinks. We also had amazing vendors: Ital Anthony, Face Canvas V.I., That Dope Henna Lady, Ivanka Pickering, Ms. Esther Frett, and more!
PC: Kayden Richards - Tsunami’s Photography