#VISTRONG — Misty Winter Photography

As a professional photographer for the last twenty-two years, my work has taken me around the world. I have come to realize that St. Croix is a special place unlike any I’ve ever known or experienced before. Unique for its immense natural beauty, and powerful history of solidarity. I have observed that many Crucians are connected to both the land, and one another. This strong sense of community is echoed in the Caribbean sentiment “All Ah We,” or all of us, a mindset embodied in Crucians' values and how they live and treat each other.

Eight years prior to hurricanes Irma & Maria, I first arrived in St. Croix for a photo shoot that never happened. Although the shoot fell through, a new path forward opened, much a result of the kindness and generosity of the people of St. Croix. It started with my vacation rental host, who would become a long-lasting friend, and expanded into building a close-knit community of friends that I now consider family. We were trading skills and sharing meals regularly. It wasn’t until after the hurricanes that I fully understood that these everyday acts of goodwill and compassion are the very backbone of Crucian culture and what makes the people of St. Croix so wonderful.

On September 19-20, 2017, Hurricane Maria brought unfathomable devastation to the island of St. Croix. St. Croix’s West End and Frederiksted communities were hardest hit, bearing the brunt of this major storm. Stuck back in my hometown of Chicago, with nonexistent communication and no updated information coming from any of the major news outlets or other media sources, I was left feeling terrified and helpless for the people of St. Croix.

Florida got all the national media press about evacuations, but there was no coverage of the storm hovering over St. Croix for 10 hours. There was no voice given to the people who had to face the storm, without any place to evacuate to, or resources to get out. Unlike in the mainland U.S., there was no easy escape by packing up a car and driving to another nearby state.

Two weeks prior to Maria, both in my hometown of Chicago and on St. Croix, Crucian communities helped to organize relief efforts for both St. John and St. Thomas in the wake of Hurricane Irma. On St. Croix, this was a robust effort led by philanthropic groups like the St. Croix Foundation, as well as groups of concerned citizens, and more grassroots nonprofits on the front line of the disaster. People donated what they could spare, raised money, and lent a hand to the best of their ability. At the time, I was astonished how few people in the U.S. even knew the Virgin Islands existed. I began to see posts on Facebook from a population of 50,000 who had been forgotten and overlooked by the U.S. Media. In 2017, the U.S. Virgin Islands had recognized 100 years under the American flag, and yet, no one was paying attention to this crisis happening on American land in the Caribbean.

Over the years, I’ve focused my photography on documenting and capturing the lives of others. Seeing my fellow community members on St. Croix not getting the properly deserved attention got me to shift my lens to tune in to the people around me even more intentionally. I listened to their stories of hope and bravery amidst great adversity and loss. What I witnessed was an incredibly resilient community doing what they do best; taking care of each other and overcoming hardships together as one.

In the aftermath of Maria, I felt the same level of compassion, and support I first felt from my vacation rental host magnified times a hundred. During these times everyone shared and helped out. My takeaway was an even greater appreciation for the power of giving back and helping others in need and how transformative this can be in helping to lift people out of times of great darkness. I am forever thankful to the people of the U.S.V.I. for showing me love amidst some of life’s greatest challenges.

When moving through this exhibition I hope you can feel people’s hope and determination. Each person has a lived story from September 19-20, 2017.

What is yours?

#VISTRONG

Have a story? Please submit it through the contact page HERE!

Did I photograph you, but you don’t see your image? Please inquire HERE!

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