Descendants’ Day at Menokin

Descendants’ Day is a biennial celebration where the descendants of those enslaved at Menokin gather to commemorate their ancestors. So far, descendants from the Beverly-Gordon line, Parris-Cox line, and Henry-Smith line have attended Descendants’ Day.

Menokin’s First Descendants’ Day took place. Over 100 people joined us at Menokin to commemorate their enslaved ancestors. Descendants traveled from Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia to be a part of this momentous occasion.

Menokin hosted the second in-person Descendants’ Day. Beautiful weather illuminated the landscape as descendants from across the country gathered to share in the day’s experience. Members of the Descendant Collective planned the event around the theme of “Telling Our Stories”.

On America’s 250th, Descendants’ Day occurred revolving around the theme of self-emancipation. This year, we premiered Thicker Than Water, a documentary by filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson about Menokin’s Descendant Collective.