Three St. Croix residents whose contributions span music and education, professional baseball and generations of community care moved closer to formal recognition Monday as the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection advanced measures honoring Kevré Hendricks, Jerome “Jerry” Browne and the late Maude “Maudie” Dowdy Roberts.
The measures remain in the legislative process and have not yet completed all steps required for final adoption or enactment. The committee, chaired by Senator Avery Lewis, is responsible for considering and making recommendations on legislation within its jurisdiction before measures advance further.
Hendricks Honored for Music, Education and Service
Bill 36-0320 is a resolution honoring and commending Mr. Hendricks for his contributions to music, education, military service and cultural preservation in the Virgin Islands. The measure was sponsored by Senator Kurt Vialet.
Mr. Vialet pointed in particular to the generations of students taught by Mr. Hendricks who have subsequently become music educators and band leaders themselves. “I really am proud of the work that he does and the image that he portrays to the students of the Virgin Islands,” the senator said. “The reason why I wrote this resolution to honor him is because I want him to be an inspiration to more.”
Mr. Hendricks has won 12 Road March titles — 10 with Fusion Band and two with Black Empire — and founded Maestro Productions. He has also spent more than two decades teaching music, beginning at Arthur A. Richards Junior High School and later becoming Director of Bands at St. Croix Educational Complex, where the resolution credits him with building one of the territory's most respected music programs. The University of the Virgin Islands independently documents his 12 Road March titles and more than 20 years as an educator, including his work at Arthur Richards and St. Croix Educational Complex.
Friends, former students and colleagues testified Monday about the influence of his work across education, culture and military service.
Sergeant First Class Daniel Nibbs discussed Mr. Hendricks' contribution to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard Band. “Through mentorship, he helped create a cycle in which musicians became soldiers, soldiers became educators and mentors, and those educators began developing another generation of young Virgin Islands musicians,” SFC Nibbs said.
Dr. Erick Willie, a former student of Mr. Hendricks, said the educator's influence extended well beyond music. “The lessons he imparted extended far beyond the rehearsal room and prepared us to navigate the challenges of life and, most importantly, adulthood,” he testified. Dr. Willie later became assistant principal at St. Croix Educational Complex High School, where the two worked together on revitalizing the school's band program.
Angel Ventura III said Mr. Hendricks “has never treated his talent as something that belonged solely to him. He has shared it.” Mr. Ventura credited him with giving “his time, knowledge, creativity, mentorship, leadership, and music,” and said those contributions have “helped strengthen the musical and cultural fabric of the Virgin Islands.”
Essi Gaston-Edwards offered a similar assessment. “Whether it is music, education, military service, cultural preservation, or serving his community, he gives wholeheartedly,” she said. “His passion has never been about the spotlight shining on him, but rather about creating opportunities for others to shine.”
If the resolution ultimately clears the legislative process, Mr. Hendricks would receive a permanent plaque copy of the measure.
Jerry Browne's Career From Prince Street to Major League Baseball
Lawmakers also advanced Bill 36-0218, sponsored by Senator Angel Bolques Jr., honoring and commending Jerome Austin “Jerry” Browne for his accomplishments in baseball and his contributions to young people on St. Croix. The measure would ceremonially designate Prince Street in Christiansted in his honor.
Mr. Browne, a Christiansted native, played Major League Baseball for 10 seasons. He was signed by the Texas Rangers before graduating from high school and progressed through the minor leagues before making his Major League debut in 1986. MLB records confirm that Jerome Austin Browne was born in Christiansted and played 10 Major League seasons.
After his playing career, Mr. Browne coached in the minor leagues and continued working to develop young baseball players. Upon returning to St. Croix, he established a baseball camp intended to encourage young Crucians to pursue the sport.
John Clenance, a lifelong friend, traced Mr. Browne's beginnings to his childhood neighborhood. “Jerry's career grew from the backyard to Little League baseball on a team by the name of Reds, managed by his uncle Norman Williams Sr.”
Mr. Clenance and Mr. Browne both credited Norman Williams Sr. and Mr. Browne's mother with helping make his baseball career possible, including the sacrifices required to raise money so that the young player could travel to compete.
Pastor Dexter Skeppel said the proposed street designation would carry a message for another generation. “He continues to help other young men to give them insight that their dream can become a reality. The Jerry Browne Street represents a possibility that you can come from some place small and go to some place big,” he said.
Mr. Browne's cousin Norman Williams Jr. described the contrast between his relative's quiet demeanor away from the game and the confidence he displayed once he took the field. “Once he gets onto a ball field, you saw a major transformation from a quiet, humble man to a very confident. ‘you ain't better than me, man’,” he said.
For Mr. Browne, the proposed honor comes back to where his story began. “All of it started from right there in Prince Street,” he told lawmakers.
Remembering Maude "Maudie" Dowdy Roberts
The committee also advanced Bill 36-0323, sponsored by Senator Kenneth Gittens, which posthumously honors Maude “Maudie” Dowdy Roberts and would give Prince Street in Frederiksted the honorary designation “Maude ‘Maudie’ Dowdy Roberts Drive.”
The proposal would not eliminate the historic Prince Street name. Instead, signage honoring Ms. Dowdy Roberts would be placed with the existing street designation.
The legislation recognizes her “generosity, compassion, and dedication to children,” describing her as a trusted self-employed caregiver whose home remained open to Frederiksted's young people. It also recognizes her civic and political participation, including her involvement with the Independent Citizens Movement.
“For many of us, she was not simply a name in our community. She was someone we knew, someone we loved, and someone whose presence became part of the fabric of Frederiksted and St. Croix as a whole,” Mr. Gittens said.
Ms. Dowdy Roberts died on September 3, 2022 — her 100th birthday.
Her granddaughter, Janice Hansen-Murray, delivered emotional testimony about the generations of children who passed through her grandmother's care. She recalled that Ms. Dowdy Roberts “opened her heart and home to countless nieces, nephews, and neighborhood children through the Virgin Islands.”
Families across the territory, Ms. Hansen-Murray said, “entrusted their children to her care, knowing they would be treated with warmth, discipline, and unconditional love.” That devotion earned her grandmother recognition as one of Frederiksted's “most respected and beloved childcare providers,” she testified.
The three measures now continue through the legislative process before the proposed honors can become final.
