Press Releases

Plaskett Statement on Liberty Day

Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett issued the following statement in commemoration of Liberty Day:

“Today we celebrate the legacy and achievements of an extraordinary man. A son of the soil, David Hamilton Jackson’s ideas and advocacy are responsible for much of the socio-economic and political progression of the Virgin Islands through the 20th Century.

He was without question one of our foremost though leaders.

Whether it was through his work to improve workers’ rights in creating the first labor union in the Virgin Islands, His petitioning the Court of Denmark for a free press, or his advocacy for the Transfer and for Virgin Islands to receive citizenship as Americans, Jackson’s work and advocacy was for the advancement and empowerment of his people.

As we approach the turn of a new century as the Virgin Islands of the United States, we have a duty and a responsibility to continue to build upon those hard-fought advancements.

The years after our Transfer commemoration is perhaps the most important to determining the future of our territory and underscoring the legacy of our ancestors, like D. Hamilton Jackson, who put their blood, sweat and tears into forging a pathway forward for our Virgin Islands.”

###