Young members of the D. H. Jackson Long-Term Disaster Recovery Committee, DBA “Do My People, Do,” recently partnered for the seventh year to clean the gravesite of the late David Hamilton Jackson ahead of Liberty Day on Wednesday.
Hamilton, a labor rights advocate in the Danish West Indies, was an important figure in the struggle for increased civil rights and workers’ rights who petitioned for freedom of the press, and organized the islands’ first trade union. Following the transfer of the territory to American control in 1917, he lobbied for U.S. citizenship for islanders.
The DHJ’s annual ceremony will take place in the Christiansted Moravian Cemetery at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, which is Liberty Day, also known as “Bread and Bull Day.”
Youth volunteers got the chance to hone their landscaping talents while tending to the cemetery. The fact that they learned about grass care, insect management, and the value of paying attention to details when cleaning the land were some of the beautification project’s highlights, the release stated.
The founder of “Do My People, Do,” Rendholdt “Rookie” Jackson, said that involving young people in community-uplifting activities fosters a sense of pride and commitment.
According to DHJ Chairman Randolph Bennett, preparing young people for trade education can eventually result in the creation of future small business owners, entrepreneurs, or highly trained laborers who can make a substantial economic contribution to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
