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First Africans Day

Join us for a powerful day of reflection, celebration, and remembrance as we honor the stories and contributions of the enslaved Africans and African Americans who shaped the history of Stratford Hall.
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black will be our keynote speaker! A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, she teaches history at Carnegie Mellon University and serves as Director of the Dietrich College Humanities Center. She has written extensively about the transnational history of West African rice farmers, including in such works as Deep Roots: Rice Farmers in West Africa and the African Diaspora. Guests can look forward to a wealth of insight, highlighted in her recent book COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War.
Register for FREE on our SimpleTix page!
Admission includes access to the Great House, grounds, and all First Africans Day activities.
2025 Schedule:
African American Cemetery
10:00 – 10:45 AM Opening Ceremony
Cheyney McKnight, Shiloh Baptist Church, Tanyah Dadze, Becky Stewart and Slam Stewart
Historic Area & Council House
11:00 AM KanKouran West African Dance Company
Great House Lawn
12:00 – 3:00 PM Historical Interpreters
Dontavius Williams – Historic Kitchen
Willie & Hope Wright – Payne Cabin
Harold Caldwell – Southwest Outbuilding
12:00 PM African Ox Flute Performance
Joshua Allen – West Yard
1:00 PM Music of the African Diaspora
SlamOne – West Yard
1:00 PM Recognizing & Sharing Family Treasures
Bessida Cauthorne White – Council House
1:30 PM Tobacco Talk
Harold Caldwell – Southwest Outbuilding
2:00 PM African Drumming Circle
SlamOne – West Yard
3:15 PM Keynote: COMBEE
Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, 2025 Pulitzer Prize-Winner – Council House
4:30 PM Open Mic & Storytelling
Dontavius Williams – Great Hall in the Great House
Stratford Beach
5:30 PM Cosing Ceremony
Cheyney McKnight, Becky Stewart and Slam Stewart
Lunch will be served in the Dining Room from 12 – 2 pm, including fried chicken, potato salad, green beans, rolls, dessert, tea, and lemonade; $20 for ages 12+ and $10 for 11 & under. Food Trucks can be found near the Carriage House from 11 am – 3 pm. Enjoy a refreshing treat from Tilly’s Ice Cream, or grab some BBQ, cheesesteaks, hamburgers, or hotdogs from Big Mike’s Food Truck!
Shuttle transportation will be available on a 10-15 minute loop, with stops at the Carriage House and Stables, the Council House, and the Payne Cabin. For those with mobility limitations, golf carts driven by Stratford Staff are available to assist.