10 Dec Roberto Smalls to Headline #DearUSVI Virtual Town Hall to Address Gun Violence Alongside other V.I. Civic Leaders and Newsmakers

Many Virgin Islanders remember Roberto “Robbie” Smalls as a tragic hero, drafted by the Chicago Cubs then seeing that dream abruptly end with a prison sentence. As the first person to be sentenced to life for murder in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. Smalls and his brothers became legendary figures as being among the first local drug traffickers in the territory’s history and featured in several pop culture magazines. Smalls’ life sentence was pardoned by former US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp in 2018. Now working as a mentor and child advocate Smalls has stated: “My goal is to share my story in hopes that it would change the course of you the youths of the Virgin Islands.”

 Smalls will join award-winning filmmaker, author and journalist Peter Bailey for the third #DearUSVI, an unprecedented virtual town hall conversation series with civic leaders, newsmakers and entertainers focused on addressing the continued violence threatening to destroy the fabric of the embattled US territory. The town hall is being organized in partnership with US Virgin Islands Senator Myron D. Jackson and local telecommunications giant Viya. USVI Senator Javan E. James, Celebrity Chefs Digby Stridiron, Julius Jackson, talk show host Russ Cills and activist Pastor Gil Monrose will make up the other panelists alongside a special presentation from Jamal Haynes, a childhood friend of Bailey’s who’s currently serving a 213-month prison sentence for drug trafficking.

As the embattled US territory struggles to recover in the wake of the devastating 2017 hurricane season and current COVID-19 pandemic there has been a recent surge in gun violence where 45 people have been murdered throughout the territory thus far. Bailey said this third town hall features an all-male panel since the violence has primarily affected the territory’s young black males.”

“Our young men are in need of mentors and guidance from those who they can identify with,” says Bailey, who’s recently toured North America with his award-winning film Paradise Discovered: The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders. “For a large majority of Virgin Islands youth Robbie Smalls is an icon and I’m honored to have him share his life lessons with our community.”

The #DearUSVI town hall will stream live on the NiteCap Media Facebook page www.facebook.com/NiteCapMedia at  7 PM Est. on Monday, Dec. 21^st.

For more info visit www.nitecapmedia.com.