D. Hamilton Jackson Day – November 1, 2024

History of D. Hamilton Jackson Day

David Hamilton Jackson was born on September 28, 1884, in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (then called Danish West Indies). At a very young age, Jackson displayed strong assertions and passion in standing up for certain issues which manifested when he was at East Hill School. His mother was a teacher and his father was the principal, which showed how influential his family was in honing his education. He, later on, followed in his parent’s footsteps in 1911 when he signed up as a teacher. However, due to his outspokenness, he was often misunderstood, resulting in his dismissal from the post.

Following his career as a teacher, he became an activist and a lecturer on the island of St. Croix around 1914 and 1915. He became a champion to the working class by instructing them to demand better living conditions and higher compensation. However, it wasn’t until 1915 that Jackon’s true legacy happened — the foundation of “The Herald” newspaper. He sent out the first copies of the newspaper on October 30, 1915. He also instructed the leaders to go to Christiansted the next day to celebrate the birth of the newspaper instead of going to work. This was the start of the revolution of the free press.

“The Herald” became the voice of the working class and the critic of the corrupt government. The newspaper also painted the real situation of the poor as well as exposed the abuse of the people in power.