Episode 3.03: Change in St. Croix
THE PODCAST: November 3, 2020
SMALL REFLECTS ALL
Tim and Tuesday talk with fellow Outsiders, Sommer Sibilly-Brown and Kristina Torres, where they introduce us to the Island of St. Croix, Crucians and how this small island can show us that big change can be done differently.
Together, Tim Merry and Tuesday Ryan-Hart are THE OUTSIDE—systems change and equity facilitators who bring the fresh air necessary to organize movements, organizations, and collaborators forward for progress, surfacing new mindsets for greater participation and shared impact.
3.03 — SHOW NOTES
Tim: We are incredibly lucky, and very excited to have Sommer Sibilly-Brown and Kristina Torres on the podcast with us today. They are both online with us to talk about work they have been involved in, and are currently involved in, in the Virgin Islands and very specifically within St. Croix and also these two lovely humans are part of The Outside team.
Tuesday: As I carry the story of The Outside with me, this is one of the places that captures folks interest. For many folks, it’s a place that they don’t know a lot about.
Sommer + Kristina: St. Croix is 45 mins below Puerto Rico. About 84 square miles and shrinking because of climate change. Interesting intersection of people. St. Croix was the home of Hamilton at one point.
Kristina: St. Croix is actually closer to Venezuela than Florida. St. Croix, unlike the other Virgin Islands, is further south than the rest of the Islands. St. Croix is an agricultural centre, it is located on a different tectonic plate than the other Islands and it has the Eastern most point in the United States. If you were to go straight, you would hit Africa. There is this amazingness of this wind that carries the Saharan dust to the Island which helps our land be more fertile. That same wind also brings hurricanes and fresh water. It’s also the wind that carried slaves to the Island. It brought colonizers to the Island. There is a very real sense of being connected to history, being connected to your ancestors, being connected to nature in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in any other location.
Sommer: The Virgin Islands have been colonized 7 times. We’ve had 7 flags over a span of hundreds of years. The Virgin Islands is a hub. We have people from Trinidad, Barbados, Ghana, Antigua, Cuba, Haiti… and then there are the indigenous Crucians. Crucians make up a mix of people who are of African descent but have French, Danish, Scottish in them. We’re this real mix.
Kristina: It’s important to say that St. Croix is owned by the United States. We are US citizens, but until recently we didn’t have a delegate to Congress that had voting ability. We do not have voting representation in the United States system of government and we are unable to vote for President.
Sommer: Crucians demonstrate resilience. I like to refer to us as our own nation of people who have endured seven flags, who to date have not been recognized by the United States or the call of the UN for the United Staes to decolonize its colonies, who have per capita sent more Virgin Islanders to die in wars but can’t vote for President and yet still, ironically, most of us bear the mark of proud Americans. We are also radical in our thoughts on how to move toward sovereignty, how do we work at scale, how do we claim our ancestral legacy, how do we use this 84 square mile Island to be a beacon of light and hope to show that things can be done differently.
Sommer: We have mastered the art of togetherness. While there is inequity - primarily socio-economic - so you don’t see it in colour as we are predominately a black and brown Island. The divide is in the almighty dollar. In real world, I have never experienced individual racism. We have this level of acceptance and tolerance. We live in a world where that is invisible. The challenge is how do we enter into relations and conversations about how colourism, internalized oppression and structural racism continue to push inequity. Crucians want justice and fairness. We burned down an Island for it.
Sommer: Most people, like myself, are learning what systems change is. This type of change work - we are really on the cusp of it. Working with TO is my introduction in. We are on the leading edge of bringing this conversation, in this way with equity at the centre, to the Virgin Islands and to St. Croix. What I do know and feel really confident about is that small reflects all. Leading systems change in the Virgin Islands, it’s like an incubation space. We are going to do a lot of learning here. It’s a safe space to consider equity work and I think the challenge with equity work, in most places, in the world, we talk about equity across race and we never take the lens to look at what the equity issues are in our race.
Song: “Omega” by Dezarie
Poem: “We are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For” by Hopi Elders
You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered…
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for your leader.
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time! There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
--Hopi Elders' Prophecy, June 8, 2000
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Duration: 42:53
Produced by: Mark Coffin
Theme music: Gary Blakemore
Episode cover image: source