PRESS RELEASE Contact: David Barreras

March 22, 2024 dbarreras@usccr.gov

U.S. Virgin Islands Advisory Committee to the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights 

Community Forum

The U.S. Virgin Islands Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) recently 

released a report following a series of public meetings and a collection of testimony provided by subject-matter experts. 

The report explores the current political and legal status of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the inequality suffered by the U.S.

Citizens who reside there. It also contains an examination of the break in the long tradition of granting statehood to 

territories, and the reality of 21st century colonialism in the territories.

In continuation of the report, the Committee will hold a community forum to discuss the major findings on the topic and 

hear from members of the public regarding their perspectives, experiences, or civil rights concerns. The forum will be 

conducted in a hybrid format on the following date and time. You may attend in person at either of the university’s campus 

locations listed below or participate virtually via Zoom:

WHEN: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Atlantic Time

WHERE: Albert A. Sheen Campus, St. Croix (University of Virgin Islands)

2 Golden Grove, UVI Theater 401, Kingshill, USVI 00850

Orville E. Kean Campus, St. Thomas (University of Virgin Islands)

2 John Brewers Bay, UVI 13D Research and Strategy Innovation Center, St. Thomas, USVI 00802

To attend virtually, please register here: https://bit.ly/3IJfRPi

Committee Chair Pamela Colon said, “It is contrary to the very notion of democracy itself and serves to create a second-tier 

citizenship in the United States colonies. At its core, this disenfranchisement renders those U.S. citizens living in the U.S.V.I. 

(and the other Territories) holding U.S. passports voiceless in a country that espouses the right to vote as fundamental and 

the basis for all authority given by the People to their government.”

After the Committee’s presentation, Chair Pamela Colon will open the floor for members of the public to offer comments.

Members of the public will be invited to speak in the order interest indicated. Each individual will have up to five minutes 

to share comments. If there is insufficient time available to hear all remarks during the live forum, individuals are 

encouraged to submit written comment to Sarah Villanueva at svillanueva@usccr.gov within 30 days of the Committee’s 

forum.

Individuals requiring additional accommodations should contact Sarah Villanueva at least 10 calendar days prior to the 

meeting at svillaneuva@usccr.gov. Meeting materials will be publicly available in the U.S. Virgin Islands Advisory 

Committee Public Folder.

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The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan 

agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights 

enforcement. Our 56 Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. For 

information about the Commission, please visit www.usccr.gov and follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook.