Rothschild Francis

Rothschild "Polly" Francis (1891–1963) was a self-educated activist in the Virgin Islands. He fought for rights in the press, citizenship for Virgin Islanders, and racial equality. To advance these goals he created a newspaper, The Emancipator, spoke in front of a Senate Committee, and engaged in civil disobedience. His influence still has a large impact on the U.S. Virgin Islands today.

Rothschild Francis was born in 1891 in Saint Thomas of the Virgin Islands while they were under the control of Denmark. He lived there through the U.S. acquisition of the Virgin Islands, moved to New York in 1931, and died in 1963. He created The Emancipator in 1921, a newspaper which pushed for social justice and civil liberties in the U.S. Virgin Islands.