WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 22, 2025) – As the nation reflects on the sacrifices of servicemen and women this Memorial Day, a senior representative of the U.S. Virgin Islands government is issuing a powerful call for justice — urging federal lawmakers to dismantle the colonial framework that continues to deny full democratic rights to U.S. citizens living in the territories.
Teri Helenese, Director of State-Federal Relations and Washington Representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands, honored the service and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans — while placing a special focus on Virgin Islands veterans and the systemic inequities they continue to face more than a century after the controversial Insular Cases relegated territorial residents to second-class citizenship.
“This Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the Virgin Islanders who have served and died in defense of the United States,” said Helenese. “They wore the uniform with pride and upheld the very ideals of freedom and democracy — yet they, and the communities they represent, continue to be denied those same freedoms at home.”
For more than 100 years, residents of the U.S. territories — home to over 3.6 million Americans, the majority of whom are people of color — have lived under a legal structure that denies them full representation, self-determination, and equal rights. Known collectively as the Insular Cases, these early 20th-century Supreme Court rulings created a separate and unequal system of governance for the territories — a system Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has described as “American colonialism.”
Helenese has emerged as a national voice in the movement to end the enduring injustice of the Insular Cases. She continues to actively mobilize support in Congress for legislation that rejects the racist foundations and ongoing impact of these Supreme Court decisions, which have limited Constitutional protections for U.S. territories.
“The United States cannot credibly claim to be a bastion of democracy while millions of its own citizens are denied voting rights, full congressional representation, and equal treatment under federal law,” Helenese said. “Our veterans fought for democracy abroad. It is time we deliver it at home.”
Helenese continues to press for legislative and judicial remedies to correct these structural injustices and ensure that the rights and freedoms promised by the Constitution are extended to all Americans — regardless of where they live.
About Teri Helenese
As the Director of State-Federal Relations and Washington Representative for the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, Teri Helenese plays a pivotal role in policy development and advocacy. She skillfully champions Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s priorities, leveraging her deep understanding of policy formulation, powerful advocacy, and wide-reaching collaborations to drive meaningful change. From securing significant funding to pioneering initiatives for student support, affordable housing and economic development, her work spans a wide array of critical areas, contributing to the prosperity of the Virgin Islands.
?
Disclaimer
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
US Virgin Islands News