>>> THE UPCOMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

THIS PROGRAM IS UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY -- >> AS 2021 DRAWS TO A CLOSE, WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH THE VIRGIN ISLANDS A YEAR OF PROMISE, OPPORTUNITY, AND PROSPERITY IN 2022.

>> AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX, THE BOARD, STAFF, OR UNDERWRITERS.

>>> WELCOME TO "THE BOOKCASE."

I´M YOUR HOST, SHAUNA RICHARDS, A SOMETIME WRITER AND LONG-TIME READER.

I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME AS WE CELEBRATE VIRGIN ISLAND AUTHORS AND THEIR TALENT.

EACH WEEK, WE´LL INTRODUCE YOU TO AN AUTHOR AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR WORK.

A STORYTELLER LIVES IN EACH OF US.

I´M SO EXCITED TO GIVE OUR STORYTELLERS A CHANCE TO TELL THEIR STORY.

TONIGHT´S SELECTION IS THE COLLECTED WORKS OF THIS AUTHOR, AND I WELCOME PROFESSOR DAVIS.

WELCOME TO "THE BOOKCASE."

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> YOU´RE WELCOME.

>> SO IN GOING OVER YOUR BIO, YOUR EXTENSIVE BIO, YOU ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST, AN ECOLOGIST, A NATURALIST, A CULTURAL HISTORIAN, A SCHOLAR, AND AT THE VERY, VERY END, IT SAYS WRITER.

SO WHEN DID YOU FIRST TO DEFINE YOURSELF AS A WRITER?

>> THAT WAS ABOUT IN THE 1970s WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

WHEN THE YOUTH BECAME CONSCIOUS OF THEMSELVES.

AND SO BY WRITING, YOU CAN SEE WHAT I´M TALKING ABOUT.

>> SO WAS THERE ANYONE -- YOU ANYONE IN HIGH SCHOOL, A PARTICULAR TEACHER OR ANYONE WHO SAW THAT SPARK IN YOU AND ENCOURAGED YOU?

>> THERE WAS MANY PERSONS.

ONE WAS MY MENTOR.

AND MY PRINCIPAL, AND MY EDUCATOR.

SO I GUESS THEY SAW THIS POTENTIAL IN ME.

>> SO WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, BECAUSE YOU´VE PUBLISHED OVER -- >> OVER 8,000 -- >> 8,000 BOOKS AND ARTICLES AND -- >> AND SCIENTIFIC PAPERS.

>> SO YOU´RE VERY PROLIFIC.

SO NOW YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY IN THIS CENTURY, WITH TECHNOLOGY, WITH THE INTERNET,KY GO ONLINE AND I CAN READ THE WRITINGS OF ALASY DAVIS.

SO WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNG PERSON, WHAT WERE YOU READING?

>> I USED TO GO TO THE LIBRARY.

AFTER SCHOOL, AND ON THE WEEKENDS, I WAS READING, AND I WAS IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD.

BUT I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD LIKE TO WRITE.

I COULD SEE MYSELF BACK IN THE 1800s, 1700s, HOW PEOPLE LIVED JUST BY LOOKING AT THE BUILDINGS.

SO I WOULD WRITE, AND IT´S JUST A NATURAL THING.

>> SUCH A SPIRITUAL PROCESS.

>> YES.

I WAS JUST IGNORE IT.

>> SO HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR CULTURE AND HISTORY?

BECAUSE SO MUCH OF YOUR WRITING IS BASED ON OUR HISTORY.

>> IT´S VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND WHO YOU ARE, ESPECIALLY COMING FROM THIS PART OF THE WORLD, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF I KNOW THE HISTORY, THAT WAS AGAINST THE LAW TO READ OR TO WRITE.

AND A LOT OF THE WRITING -- >> SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL OUR STORY.

>> TO TELL OUR STORY.

>> AND NOT SOMEBODY ELSE´S VERSION OF OUR STORY.

>> A GOOD EXAMPLE, THE NATIVE AMERICAN THANKSGIVING DAY, THEY MOURN.

THEY ARE MOURNING.

THIS THEIR HISTORY, MORE HAPPENED.

SO I COMBINED BOTH OF THEM IN THE ARTICLE.

ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE DO A LOT OF RESEARCH AND SO FORTH, BUT WE GREW UP GIVING THANKS AT THANKSGIVING, BUT IT´S MORE THAN THAT.

>> AND IT WASN´T UNTIL RECENTLY, I CERTAINLY DIDN´T LOSE IT IN SCHOOL, THAT IT WAS A DAY OF MOURNING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

>> BECAUSE THEY WERE SLAUGHTERED AND KILLED.

RECENTLY I WAS IN FLORIDA TO SEE MY GRANDSON.

AND WE WENT TO THE MUSEUM IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.

IN THE MUSEUM, IT WAS SAD.

AND JUST READING THE WHOLE THING.

I READING WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE PEOPLE, IT WAS REALLY SAD.

>> YOUR WRITINGS COVER SO MANY TOPICS.

YOU TALKED ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT.

YOU TALK ABOUT OUR FOOD.

YOU TALK ABOUT PLANTS.

HOW DO YOU TAKE -- YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES YOU DECIDE THAT SOMETHING YOU -- YOU´RE GOING WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING?

>> IT JUST COMES NATURALLY.

I COULD BE HIKING AND I JUST SAW AN UNUSUAL KIND OF BUG AND IT GETS IN MY HEAD.

AND I STARTED WRITING ABOUT A BUG, OR AN ISSUE IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I WROTE ABOUT THAT.

OR THE DIFFERENT SEASONS.

SO I WROTE ABOUT CALLILOU, WHICH IS REALLY -- IT´S NOT A PLANT.

THE PLANT IS POPPALOU.

BUT WE CALL IT CALILOU.

AND I LEARNED THE TRADITION.

AND SO IT GOES BY THE SEASON, WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR, SUMMER, FALL, AND THE COMMUNITY EVENTS TAKING PLACE.

>> SO WHAT AS A WRITER, AND I KNOW WRITERS LIKE TO READ, WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

>> RIGHT NOW, I´M READING "THE PROMISED LAND."

WHO IS THE PROMISED LAND?

>> I´M NOT SURE.

>> PRESIDENT OBAMA.

IT WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A GIFT.

READING HIS BOOK IS, WOW, IT´S REALLY DEEP AND EYE OPENING.

AND HIS BACKGROUND, HIS EXPERIENCE, AND BEING THE PRESIDENT.

>> WHEN YOU´RE READING, I THINK EYE OPENING TO YOU AND DOING ALL THE RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE SAID, WE HAVE WRITTEN OVER 8,000 PIECES OF WORK, WHAT IS THE MOST EYE OPENING THING THAT YOU DISCOVERED IN YOUR RESEARCH AND IN YOUR WRITING?

>> WE HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD.

PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE US, 1700s, 1800s, HAD A MAJOR IMPACT.

WE HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.

AND THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO IMPACTED THE ISLANDS HERE.

HE LEFT DURING THE 1800s AND WENT TO AUSTRALIA AND THE REST IS HISTORY.

THEY HAVE A MONUMENT TO HIM.

HE LEFT WHEN HE WAS A BOY.

AND SO WHEN I READ, I LIKE -- OH, MY GOD, IT BECOME PART OF ME.

IT JUST COME PART OF ME, AND I GOT IN TOUCH, AND I SAID -- >> THE THINGS YOU WRITE AGENT ARE PLANTS, WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT BUILDINGS, WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT THE ESTATE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU WRITE ABOUT OUR PLANET, ARE YOU WRITING IN HOPES THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN OR HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE?

>> MOST OF THEM -- MOST OF THE MEDICINE COME FROM PLANTS.

FOUR YEARS AGO, A GUY IN DENMARK WAS A SCHOOLTEACHER.

AND HE COLLECTED PLANTS.

AND HIS COLLEAGUE CAME LOOKING FOR THESE PLANTS.

I FIND OUT THAT A PARTICULAR STRAIN IN THE LEMON GRASS, IT´S GOOD FOR YOU.

IT´S GOOD FOR HEADACHES.

BUT WE HAVE PROVEN THAT IT IS CORRECT.

AND THAT IS REALLY EXCITING.

AND OUR WHOLE LIFE IS ONE PLANT.

PLANT IN TERMS OF MEDICINE.

>> SO CAN YOU, LIKE BALLPARK HOW MANY ARTICLES THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT PLANTS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS?

>> OH, THAT´S A LOT.

I WROTE -- OH, MY GOODNESS.

I HAVE STUDENTS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, RIGHT NOW THERE ARE STUDENTS DOING THEIR Ph.D.

IN PENN STATE, AND HE EXTRACTED THE OIL FROM PLANTS.

HE WAS -- >> SO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON´T KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TELL US.

>> SO WE´RE TELLING ABOUT IT.

>> AND YOU KNOW, I´VE ACTUALLY -- THIS SUMMER, I SAW -- AND I SAW IN SUPERMARKETS STATE SIDE, THIS, BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS RICH IN VITAMIN C. >> IN A BOOK, WE MENTION THAT.

>> I FEEL LIKE I´M BEING TESTED.

>> IT´S CALLED ISLAND CURRY.

AND IT CAME HERE AND THEY BROUGHT THE TREE.

IT´S SACRED TO THEM.

>> SACRED IN WHAT WAY?

>> KEEPS AWAY EVIL SPIRITS.

AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE WATER, AND TAKE THE FOOD, AND DILUTE IT, AND PUT IT IN ONE BODY.

HE SAID BUT, IF YOU LIVE -- IF IT GROWS UP IN THE TREES, IT TURNS SOUR.

SO IT IS REALLY FASCINATING.

>> SO WHEN WE SAY THAT THERE´S A STORYTELLER IN EACH OF US, YOU´RE SAYING THERE ARE STORY INFORMATION OUR TREES.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF STORIES IN OUR TREES.

>> I WOULD NOT GO TO A GRAVEYARD TO FIND A MANGROVE.

>> TODAY, PEOPLE WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THAT.

AND THAT´S WHY I WRITE IT DOWN TO READ IT.

>> SO YOU TAKE ALL OF THIS HISTORY AND PUT IT IN WAYS THAT ARE RELATABLE.

IS THAT YOUR GOAL SH >> YEAH.

WHY WE HAVE -- TO CHERISH WHAT WE HAVE.

WHO DOES THAT?

THE ENSLAVED POPULATION.

BUT WE´RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT.

ALL THE BUILDINGS TODAY, THEY´RE CRUMBLING.

SO SOMEWHAT HAPPENED?

>> SO IN YOUR WRITING, DO YOU SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT FROM ST. THOMAS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THE AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT, THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PLANTING AND ST. CROIX, HAVE YOU EXPLORED THAT IN YOUR WRITING?

>> YEAH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ISLANDS, ST. THOMAS, ST. CROIX IS MOST OF THE AREA IS FLAT.

EVEN THOUGH THERE´S MORE HILL IN ST. CROIX THAN FLAT LAND, BUT YOU NEVER THINK ABOUT IT.

THERE´S MORE HILLS IN ST. CROIX -- >> THAN IN ST. THOMAS?

>> MORE HILLS IN ST. CROIX.

SO THE THAT -- TOPOGRAPHY IS DIFFERENT.

BECAUSE THE LAND ARE COMPARED TO ST. THOMAS.

METROPOLITAN, ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS PARTS OF THE WORLD.

THE TPOGRAPHY ALONE TELLS YOU HOW THEY DEVELOPED THE ISLAND.

>> SO WHEN YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO WRITE, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK?

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR COLLECTED WORKS BENEFITING OUR COMMUNITY AND BENEFITING OUR STUDENTS?

>> WHAT I MENTIONED IN ITALY, HE SAW MY WRITING.

I WROTE A RECOMMENDATION FOR HER.

AND THEN I DO, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH -- I WROTE AN ARTICLE, AND SO I GOT COMPANIES, THEY SEE MY ARTICLE AND THEY CONTACT ME.

>> SO FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU WRITE ABOUT, WHEN DID YOU SAY, THIS IS THE PATH I WANT TO TAKE?

YOU STUDIED A LOT OF THINGS.

TELL US -- >> WHEN I WAS IN -- I THINK WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, PEOPLE ASKED ME, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO RETIRE?

I DON´T WANT TO RETIRE.

MY JOB IS A HOBBY.

I´M DOING THE RESEARCH, AND HE GOES, IT JUST BECOMES A PART OF YOU.

>> BUT WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE AND -- BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE CONNECTED WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR WORK IN BOTANY, YOU LOOK AT YOUR WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT.

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE CONNECTED.

WHEN DID YOU CONNECT THOSE DOTS AND SAYING I HAVE TO SHARE MY KNOWLEDGE WITH THE WORLD?

>> WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN WE START AT A CULTURE CLUB BACK IN THE ´70s.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE AN ARTIST, BECAUSE I LIKE TO DRAW.

BUT I ENDED UP DOING A LOT OF WRITING IN COLLEGE.

SO I LIKE TO READ A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTS.

I LIKE REALLY DEEP WRITING.

I LIKE -- WHEN I READ SOMEBODY´S BOOK, LIKE PRESIDENT OBAMA, IT´S VERY DEEP.

I JUST SEE THE PRESIDENT, WE´RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.

>> I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU, IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PASSAGE OF SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ, SO THAT OUR AUDIENCE CAN FEEL SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT AND CAN FEEL IT.

>> IN THIS, I DECIDED TO THE END THIS BOOK.

TO THE END, I WROTE A HISTORY.

I WRITE, I ENJOY THE MANGROVE´S SWEET JUICE.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IN CONTEXT?

THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF EATING OUR LOCAL FRUIT.

FRUIT HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR HISTORY.

OUR WHITE TEETH AND STRONG BONES DO NOT HAPPEN BY THEMSELVES.

THIS BOOK WILL ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF LOCAL FRUIT.

OUR PARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

>> YES.

FOODS DO THAT.

>> THE TROPICAL FRUITS THAT WE´RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE VALUES AND THE BENEFITS.

>> AND THE BENEFITS.

>> SO HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS -- HOW DO YOU SEE THAT -- THE WORK YOU DO CAN BENEFIT THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS?

>> I SEE IT EVERY DAY.

>> OKAY.

>> I GET EMAIL FROM ALL OVER THE WOSHLD -- ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IN FACT, I THINK I GOT AN E-MAIL WHERE SOMEBODY CONTACT ME.

I SEE EVERY DAY SOMETIME IN MY OFFICE.

AND I HAVE TO GO BACK TO MY WRITING OR THE -- SO I SEE IN THAT, SO I´M A -- >> SO HOW ARE -- ON A SMALLER SCALE, HOW DO YOU SEE OUR VIRGIN ISLAND STUDENTS BENEFITING FROM YOUR WRITING?

BECAUSE YOU TALK SO MUCH ABOUT ENVIRONMENT AND OUR HISTORY AND REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

I THINK IF I THINK ABOUT SO MUCH OF YOUR WORK, THE UNDERLYING THEME IS APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE.

>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I DO IS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, I GIVE THEM A TEST WHEN WE GO ON A HIKE OR WHAT.

GIVE ME THE LOCAL NAME OF THE PLANT.

AFTER THAT, I TEST, AND THEN I TAKE OFF MONEY.

SO I TEST THEM AND IF HE GET THE CORRECT ANSWER, HE GETS $10.

THESE CHILDREN NOW WHO GO TO COLLEGE, COME BACK AND TOLD ME, THEY -- IT IS STUCK IN THEIR HEAD.

SO OUR SURVIVORS -- SIT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A WORLD THAT IS VERY STRESSFUL WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PANDEMIC.

SO OUR FOCUS IS ON THE YOUNG PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUTURE.

AND SO MY WRITINGS, MANY TIMES FOR BLACK HISTORY, THEY COME AND INTERVIEW ME.

ONE YOUNG LADY INTERVIEWED ME AND HAD THIS PROGRAM.

SHE JUST INTERVIEWED ME AND I WAS SHOCKED.

>> SO WITH YOUR WRITINGS, YOU TRY TO ELEVATE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS?

>> ELEVATE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU ARE SOMEBODY, COMING FROM A SMALL ISLAND IN THE CARIBBEAN.

>> SO BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANT YOU TO TELL US WHAT´S NEXT FOR ALASY BUSHMAN DAVIS?

>> THAT´S A HEALY GOOD QUESTION.

WHAT´S NEXT?

I FINISHED A BOOK ON HIKING, AND OVER 400 PAGES.

YOU SEE BY FOOT, HIKING ON THIS ISLAND, AND GUESS WHAT?

PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE ILSD KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ISLANDS.

>> SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, OUR VIEWERS WATCHING THIS SHOW WILL FEEL INSPIRED TO READ MORE OF YOUR WRITINGS, AND TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE ST. CROIX ON FOOT AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLANTS AND THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING, AND EVERYTHING, AND ELEVATE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS, BECAUSE THAT´S WHAT THE WRITING OF ALAS SAY DAVIS INSPIRE US TO DO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT´S BEEN A PLEASURE.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE WORKS OF ALASY DAVIS, IS THERE ANY OF THE BOOKS FEATURED ON THIS PROGRAM, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, WTJX.ORG.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WHEN WE TAKE ANOTHER BOOK FROM "THE BOOKCASE."