Good Morning Educators, The Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education has developed resources in support of the upcoming Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day celebration. Please see the poster and fact sheet attached highlighting Ramón Emeterio Betances. In the late 1800s, the Virgin Islands became a haven for exiled revolutionaries, including Puerto Rico’s Ramón Emeterio Betances, a key figure in the fight for Caribbean independence. St. Thomas offered Betances the space to develop his vision for a free and united Caribbean, inspiring his pivotal "Ten Commandments of Free Men," which called for basic human rights and self-governance. As we celebrate Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day, we honor this shared history of resistance and collaboration, recognizing the Virgin Islands as a critical crossroads in the Caribbean’s ongoing struggle for equity and further autonomy.
