The Christena Disaster Forty-Two Years Later - Looking Backward, Looking Forward: A Caribbean Story about National Tragedy, the Burden of Colonialism, and the Challenge of Change

On a sunny afternoon in August of 1970, the Eastern Caribbean was, without warning, confronted with a terrible and tragic event. The Christena, a well-used ferry that regularly crossed the eleven-mile expanse between the twin islands if St. Kitts and Nevis sank. The two British colonial societies were suddenly thrown into turmoil, finding themselves unprepared to deal with such sudden tragedy. The ferry was registered to carry 155 passengers, but it was severely overloaded. While ninety-nin...