Political Quotes

“This week, the Virgin Islands celebrates Liberty Day and honors David Hamilton Jackson and his relentless pursuit of free press for the people of the Virgin Islands. From the 1700s until the 1950s, the Virgin Islands was owned by Denmark, which maintained censorship over the press. D. Hamilton Jackson knew that in order for a people to truly have freedom, the press must also be free. Traveling to Denmark to advocate on behalf of the workers of the Virgin Islands, he took it upon himself to also fight for the emancipation of the press. His passionate advocacy was fruitful, and upon his return to the territory, he published the first newspaper in the Virgin Islands not controlled by the government. This act empowered the people of the Virgin Islands and opened the door for generations of Virgin Islanders to allow their voices to be heard in the formal medium of press. D. Hamilton Jackson challenged the status quo and the prevailing laws of his time to secure a future for the islands he loved. D. Hamilton Jackson used his newfound right for the free press to create The Herald. As editor, he used that publication to uncover corruption and educate the working class. Frustrated with neglect from the Danish Government, Jackson used The Herald to build support for the transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States. The American flag that flies over the Virgin Islands today is a fruit of the seed that D.…”