Myron D. Jackson
Senator Myron D. Jackson’s involvement and advocacy in Virgin Islands history and culture has been a lifelong pursuit and mission. His engagement in politics was a response to enthusiastic encouragement by the public when he was elected to the 30th Legislature of the Virgin Islands. He took on leadership positions as Secretary in the 31st Legislature, President in the 32nd, and Vice President in the 33rd Legislature with a strong commitment to be "True to Service," a value passed on to him by his parents.
The son of Mrs. Bernice Peterson Jackson, retired community health nurse, and the late Hugo D. Jackson, businessman and community activist, he was raised in Hospital Ground, in the historic “Upstreet” neighborhood of St. Thomas. His 40 years of public service personify the African proverb, “Go Back And Fetch It,” but the saying had been a guiding principle in his life long before he formally knew it. As a young teen, he became a community activist and made a name for himself when he and fellow students mounted a public campaign to preserve the architectural integrity of the historic blue bit sidewalks in the Charlotte Amalie Historic District. As a youth, he also published illustrations in the book “Creole Ketch And Keep” by Arona Petersen. Prior to his graduation, he was mentored by his high school art teacher, Edith Woods, and master artist Charles “Carlito” Kean through the Commission on Youth's Public Arts Program.
A graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School in 1975 and the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1979, Senator Jackson has remained active in civic organizations and in government, dedicating his life’s work to the protection of the cultural resources and heritage of the Territory. Following his graduation from college, Senator Jackson returned to his homeland and joined the Department of Conservation and Cultural Affairs. He was recruited to the Planning Office which later became the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. He has served in a variety of capacities including graphic artist, senior planner, cultural advisor to Governor Alexander A. Farrelly, director of the Virgin Islands State Historic Preservation Office, and executive director of the Virgin Islands Cultural Heritage Institute. In 1982, in pursuit of a better understanding of Virgin Islands history and culture within our society, he traveled to Africa and visited Egypt and Ghana as part of a research project linked to the Virgin Islands for the Division of Cultural Education with the assistance and collaboration, of the then commissioner of education, former Governor Charles W. Turnbull and Professor Gerard Emmanuel.
In the 30th, 31st and 33rd Legislature, Senator Jackson served as the Chair of the Committee on Culture, Historic Preservation, Youth and Recreation. He was also a sitting member of several committees, including Education & Workforce Development; Economic Development, Agriculture & Planning; Rules and Judiciary; Government Services, Veterans' and Consumer Affairs; and Finance. He was appointed to serve on the 2017 Centennial Commission, and in that capacity, he was invited to Capitol Hill to deliver a historical narrative of the 1917 Sale and Transfer of the former Danish West Indies to the United States. In January 2014, Senator Jackson traveled to Copenhagen to meet with American Ambassador to Denmark, Rufus Gifford, the Danish Foreign Ministry, and heads of institutions and societies to facilitate their engagement in the 2017 Centennial. He also traveled to represent the 30th Legislature at the Reparations Conference in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. After his retirement in 2021, Senator Jackson pledges to continue his work to promote cultural heritage and protection of the environment of the Virgin Islands. Over the decades, he has researched and published widely in the area of preservation. He has received many community service awards for his commitment and dedication to the people and culture of the Virgin Islands of the United States.