My first classroom didn’t have desks. It had a kitchen, a dining room, tourists looking for an experience, and locals looking for community. From 1986 to 1991, my family owned and operated The Old Gallery Restaurant & Bar on St. John, Virgin Islands. At the time, I didn’t think of it as an education. ItContinueContinue reading “St. Croix Just Landed on a Rooftop in D.C. — And Reminded Me Where My Real Education Began”
Category Archives: Culture Keepers
The First-Day Fit: When Back-to-School Sneakers Become a Family Economics Lesson
Back-to-school shopping has always been about more than notebooks, pencils and backpacks. For generations of young people, what you put on your feet on that first day has mattered, too. And maybe that makes the sneaker store one of the best places to start teaching our children about money. Growing up in the Virgin Islands,ContinueContinue reading “The First-Day Fit: When Back-to-School Sneakers Become a Family Economics Lesson”
From the Virgin Islands to the Top: USVI Women Win the 2026 Nike RBI Championship
The U.S. Virgin Islands women’s softball team didn’t just show up on the national stage. They left as champions. The USVI captured the 2026 Nike RBI Softball World Series Championship, defeating Houston Astros Nike RBI, 3–1, in the championship game at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida. For the young women wearingContinueContinue reading “From the Virgin Islands to the Top: USVI Women Win the 2026 Nike RBI Championship”
The Bridge That Bears His Name: Bob Cousy Pass
For years, I drove that highway to get to the College of the Holy Cross, sitting up on College Hill, overlooking the city. I’ve taken that exit dozens of times, windows down, music up, coffee in hand, thinking about the day ahead. Bob Cousy Pass sign. (Photo courtesy of Spectrum News 1 Worcester) I neverContinueContinue reading “The Bridge That Bears His Name: Bob Cousy Pass”
The Ferry Was Never Just Transportation
Reflections on being featured in Growing Up in the Caribbean There are moments in life that make you pause and look back at your journey with a new appreciation. Recently, I had the honor of being interviewed by Keshia Prince-Anderson for her Growing Up in the Caribbean series. Her article, The Infrastructure of Love City:ContinueContinue reading “The Ferry Was Never Just Transportation”
Before Opportunity Arrives… Reputation Enters the Room First
In 2017, I was introduced to Travis Grillo of Grillo’s Pickles by the one and only Premium Pete. That introduction eventually led to creating promotional content for Grillo’s Pickles, a video that caught the attention of Cardi B, and coverage in Global Grind. Years later, I’ve realized that this story isn’t really about pickles. It’sContinueContinue reading “Before Opportunity Arrives… Reputation Enters the Room First”
Authenticity Is the Flex: What Rama Duwaji’s Knicks Parade Dress Teaches Us About Culture, Career, and Community
At the Knicks championship parade, NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji skipped the famous labels for a custom dress by emerging designer Miss Claire Sullivan. What that choice teaches us about authenticity, culture, and lifting up the next generation of creators.
The World’s Game Comes Home: What the 2026 World Cup Means for All of Us
Mexico Air Max ’95 (2006) Today, the ball rolls. In Mexico City, inside the stadium most of us still know as the Azteca, Mexico and South Africa walk onto the pitch, and the largest World Cup in history begins. Forty-eight nations. Three host countries. One hundred and four matches stretched across thirty-nine days and sixteenContinueContinue reading “The World’s Game Comes Home: What the 2026 World Cup Means for All of Us”
June Is National Caribbean American Heritage Month — And It Starts With a Prayer
By Dee Wells | Protect Our Culture Welcome to United States Virgin Islands — America’s Paradise. Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI. It’s June 1st. For those of us with roots in the Caribbean, that date carries two things at once — a celebration and a caution. It’s the first day of National Caribbean American HeritageContinueContinue reading “June Is National Caribbean American Heritage Month — And It Starts With a Prayer”
The Game Isn’t Just Being Played. It’s Being Sold to the Whole World.
A 22-year-old from France is about to walk into the NBA Finals as the face of the San Antonio Spurs. This lets us know everything about where the league is in 2026. Spurs vs. Knicks. Game 1, June 3, in San Antonio. On paper, it’s a rematch of 1999 — Tim Duncan’s first crown, theContinueContinue reading “The Game Isn’t Just Being Played. It’s Being Sold to the Whole World.”
