This was no different when a Black Lives Matter march was held in the Virgin Islands on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

BLM march

The march started at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park and moved along Administration Drive, on to Waterfront Drive, and culminated at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

The event attracted a mix of people of many nations and races. Blacks and whites alike carried plaque cards in solidarity of the movement.

Among those in the march were Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), Governor Augustus J .U. Jaspert and Commissioner of Police Michael B. Matthews.

VIslander shares his experience

Among the persons who spoke was well-known civil servant, Dr Drexel M. Glasgow, shared his unfortunate experience of an encounter with racist police in Minneapolis, USA.

Dr Glasgow reflected that it was some years ago while studying for his PhD in Minneapolis, that he visited a Burger King outlet a few blocks from where Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020.

He said that night he was faced with a number of disappointments, including that Burger King was out of his favourite 'Chicken Sandwich'; however, he definitely wasn't prepared for what would happen next.

"As I was leaving, I noticed that there were some 'blue shirts', that's what they call police, on the outside of Burger King and they were looking in from the windowpane... Being very none assuming, I thought nothing of it."

But he said as he reached out the building, at the bottom of two or three stairs, "A woman white cop came up to me with a gun cocked in the air. Pushed me against a wall and asked me if I had a weapon."

Slammed against wall, groped

As if that wasn't bad enough, Dr Glasgow said, "She dragged me around the block where persons couldn't see as she slammed me against the wall with the gun to my head asking me if I had a weapon."

Dr Glasgow said the female cop pat searched and groped him in the process.

He said the white female cop then grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him on a police vehicle which was nearby. A male cop was in the vehicle and Mr Glasgow said he asked what was the matter and was told Burger King called in a report that a black person "had stuck up the shop."

Shortly after, Dr Glasgow said he was released.

'We are one in BVI'- Dr Glasgow

He shared that the experience had left him shaken to the point of not telling his mom.

Dr Glasgow yesterday charged black people to stop feeling less of a human being.

"To my white friends, let today be the last that you feel within your heart that you have a superiority complex over coloured people.

"We are one in the BVI," he said.