Jonkonnu at Stagville 2022

5828 Old Oxford Highway,Durham NC 27712

10 December, 2022

Description

On sale now! Children under 12 are free-- please only purchase tickets for those 12 and up! Celebrate Jonkonnu, a historic African American holiday tradition, with Historic Stagville and St Sya Academy! Students from St Sya Academy will perform at Horton Grove to honor the history of Jonkonnu, an Afro-Caribbean masquerade celebrated by enslaved people. After the performance, join the lead artists around the bonfire for conversation about Jonkonnu's past and present around the world. Jonkonnu was a distinctive part of African American culture in 19th century North Carolina. Enslaved people resisted cultural erasure by preserving African music, dance, drum, and costumes of Jonkonnu through generations of enslavement. Stagville is one of the rare sites in North America with primary source documentation of Jonkonnu. This program will be outdoors, with an optional walk through a historic slave dwelling after the performance. This event will be outside, so dress warmly! It will include walking in low light and over uneven surfaces.