St. Croix ceremony to honor legacy of Anna Heegaard

Anna Heegaard, a pivotal figure in the history of emancipation in the Virgin Islands, will be reinterred Wednesday at her burial site in Orange Grove, St. Croix, the 175th Emancipation Commemoration Committee has announced.

This initiative, known as “The Anna Heegaard Project, Part 1 – The Reinterment and Real Property Transfer,” also includes the official transfer of the property to the people of the territory, the Emancipation Commemoration Committee said in the news release.

The reinterment ceremony, organized by the Emancipation Commemoration Committee in collaboration with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and State Historic Preservation Office, will be attended by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., and landowner H.C. Ruparelia, developer and owner of Innovative Asset Group, who will facilitate the property transfer. The event commemorates Heegaard’s enduring legacy and highlights efforts to recognize the contributions of significant historical figures in the struggle for freedom and equality, the release said.