TEDxSaintThomas

At the end of the Civil War, though slavery was technically illegal in all states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. This was the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were officially free. Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio dig into the history of Juneteenth. [Directed by Rémi Cans, Atypicalist, narrated by Christina Greer, music by Jarrett Farkas].

What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? At the end of the Civil War, though slavery was technically illegal in all states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. This was the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were o...

Curious how stuff works? Do a hands-on experiment at home, says physicist Nadya Mason.

How to spark your curiosity, scientifically Curious how stuff works? Do a hands-on experiment at home, says physicist Nadya Mason. She shows how you can demystify the world around you by tapping into your scientific curiosity -- and performs a few onstage experiments of her own using magnets, dollar bills, dry ice and more.

As we look towards the weekend......

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Psychology of Psychics from TEDxSaintThomas 2022

Illusionist Johnny Daemon demonstrates how easy it is to be convinced by charlatans. Was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to the USVI at age 15. There he attended St. Croix Country Day School, and discovered the art of magic at age 17. He immediately began designing and creating his own unique magic effects. For the past 12 years has been performing shows, and consulting for the world's top magic performers and studios.

Psychology of Psychics | Johnny Daemon | TEDxSaintThomas Illusionist Johnny Daemon demonstrates how easy it is to be convinced by charlatans. Was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to the USVI at age 15. There ...

As we are between USVI Festivals events, a talk from TEDxPortofSpain.

Reclaiming s*xual identity through carnival.

In her talk, Onika revisits what we traditionally think about carnival. She challenges the idea that carnival is about unbridled debauchery but rather is a time to reclaim our s*xuality. Onika Henry Fullbright scholar, and is a Widener University-trained s*xologist (M. Ed.) and qualified S*x Coach (S*x Coach U), who has a B.A. in Theatre Arts, with a minor in Psychology. She uses this combination of specialities for the benefit of her clients who need to talk about s*x and s*x-related issues, in an environment that is healthy, fun, productive and most of all, safe and non-judgemental.

Reclaiming s*xual identity through carnival. In her talk, Onika revisits what we traditionally think about carnival. She challenges the idea that carnival is about unbridled debauchery but rather is a time to reclaim our s*xuality. Onika Henry Fullbright scholar, and is a Widener University-trained s*xologist (M. Ed.) and qualified S*x Coach (...

Eco-Trendy in the Caribbean: Have you ever considered what impact you have on the world around you?

Explore token environmentalism, how we are destroying the earth, and a little bit on how to stop it. Born and raised in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Kitty Edwards is passionate about protecting her home. At her position in the Department of Planning & Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management she leads environmental outreach initiatives, provides project management, and connects the environmental community through networking and event facilitation. Her programs, such as Science Saturday, VI Clean Coasts, and Refill Bottles, Not Dumpsters, work with the community to bring attention and action to environmental issues facing the territory.

Trendy Enviormentalism | Kitty Edwards | TEDxSaintThomas Eco-Trendy in the Caribbean: Have you ever considered what impact you have on the world around you? Explore token environmentalism, how we are destroying the...

Stony coral tissue loss disease has become the leading cause of reef-building coral decline in the Caribbean. Dr. Brandt will discuss its emergence and impact on the reefs of the United States Virgin Islands and the remarkable response of our relatively small community to the threat of this virulent disease. A Research Associate Professor of Marine and Environmental Science at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). She fell in love with the Caribbean in college when she visited a childhood friend and pen pal in Trinidad. She went on to study Caribbean coral disease ecology while earning her Bachelor’s degree from New York University and then her Ph.D. from the University of Miami. She moved to St. Thomas to join the research faculty in the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies at UVI in 2010.
Dr. Brandt’s research focuses on understanding how disease is damaging coral reefs and how coral conservation and restoration can reverse that damage. She is the Research Team Lead and an Executive Team member for the U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Disease Advisory Committee and she directs the VI Reef Response program which is focused on science-based coral restoration in the northern U.S. Virgin Islands.

Disease in the Deep | Marilyn Brandt | TEDxSaintThomas Stony coral tissue loss disease has become the leading cause of reef-building coral decline in the Caribbean. Dr. Brandt will discuss its emergence and impac...

Code R. E. D. Childhood S*xual Abuse. | Kendell Daughtry

Imagine a world where people who experienced childhoood s*xual abuse were believed, protected, and advocated for. Dr. Kendell Daughtry presents an original social construct that provides the process on how to cultivate that world individually and collectively. A native of Philadelphia, PA. He has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences. He teaches human development, sociology and other social science courses at multiple universities. He conducts original research on systems that impact Black Virgin Islanders and culture. Most recently he conducted a major mixed-methods study on how Black Virgin Islander high schoolers matter to their school and community. He developed the construct Code R.E.D, which aims to teach people how to become active against social justice issues.

Code R. E. D. Childhood S*xual Abuse. | Kendell Daughtry | TEDxSaintThomas Imagine a world where people who experienced childhoood s*xual abuse were believed, protected, and advocated for. Dr. Kendell Daughtry presents an original s...

What is educational equity and what is its relationship to history, culture, and race? Dr. Jessica S. Samuel shares her journey of getting students the resources they need to achieve in and beyond the classroom. Born on St. Croix and raised between the U.S. Virgin Islands. She studies race, education, colonialism, and the environment, including where they all might converge, in the United States and the Caribbean. Dr. Samuel’s recently completed dissertation, “Consuming America’s Paradise: Education and Conservation on St. John” examines the racialized confluence of public education struggles, National Park conservation objectives, and U.S imperialism on the island of St. John.

Prior to obtaining her Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University, Dr. Samuel taught high school English and Writing as a Teach for America corps member in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2018, after serving as an education policy fellow, she was appointed to the Racial Imbalance Advisory Council of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Dr. Samuel holds a Master of Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis as well as a BA in African American Studies and Anthropology from Wesleyan University.

Pursuing Education Equity: From St. Louis to St. John. | Jessica Samuel | TEDxSaintThomas What is educational equity and what is its relationship to history, culture, and race? Dr. Jessica S. Samuel shares her journey of getting students the resou...

How can we save corals if we don't even know what they are?

Dan Mele uses macro photography to uncover the secret lives of one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet. Is a coral restoration scientist at the University of the Virgin Islands and a conservation photographer. His photography has taken him from some of the most remote parts of Alaska to over 150 feet underwater, but his biggest passion lies in photographing coral.
During his career as a coral biologist, Dan realized that corals are some of the most misunderstood animals on the planet, as most people don't even know corals are animals! Dan designed a small portable studio to photograph corals against a solid black background. By isolating the coral from the many distractions on a coral reef, the viewer's attention is solely focused on the complex detail in each coral. Dan has since used these images in multiple books, magazines, and online publications, but most importantly as a tool for building connections and understanding of one of the most fascinating creatures on earth.

Corals are Not Slimy Rocks! | Dan Mele | TEDxSaintThomas How can we save corals if we don't even know what they are? Dan Mele uses macro photography to uncover the secret lives of one of the most misunderstood anim...

For . Saint Thomas TEDx Speaker Scott Eanes: Cyril E. King: Where Passion and Conservation Take Flight

Cyril E. King: Where Passion and Conservation Take Flight | Scott Eanes | TEDxSaintThomas Scott will discusses finding your passion in life and the path he took to find his. It is a story of the discovery of an abundance of juvenile, critically en...