Political Quotes

“Last week I shared a series of historical facts for Virgin Islands History Month, which falls in the month of March. Today, in celebration of International Women's Day, I proudly recognize the indomitable spirit of women from the Virgin Islands. This year, the theme of International Women's Day is centered around the bold hashtag ``Break the Bias.'' For decades, women have worked to break the bias in communities, workplaces, schools, universities. We learn about different historical figures in history, but often we forget to give recognition to the lesser-known women whose stories and contributions help to propel the historical narrative. First on my list, I want to recognize the most influential and enigmatic writer of Harlem Renaissance, Nellallitea, or as she was more commonly known, Nella Larsen. With a father from the Danish West Indies, what is now the Virgin Islands, while working as a nurse and librarian, she wrote two instant success novels, Quicksand in 1928, and Passing in 1929, which made its screen debut on Netflix in 2019. Nella was the first African-American woman to receive the prestigious Guggenheim fellowship award for creative writing. Also on my list is an individual who has a series of firsts for Virgin Islanders, Ruby Rouss. Ruby Rouss was a Crucian known for breaking the bias throughout her short life journey.…”