Bennett Place to Host African Dance

Bennett Place State Historic Site will host "OUT & FREE: African Dance" on Saturday, June 20, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The free event in collaboration with the LGBTQ Center of Durham will celebrate the Juneteenth holiday and Pride Month and will feature the Harambee Collective, a professional African Drum and Dance company directed by McDaniel Roberts, a founding member of Chuck Davis's African American Dance Ensemble. Visitors can enjoy a community dance class and "bantaba" celebration, as well as a complimentary popsicle from LocoPops while supplies last. Bennett Place is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Visitors to "OUT & FREE" may also choose to learn more about Bennett Place's history while on site. In 1865, the Bennett farmhouse was the site of the largest Confederate surrender, ending the Civil War in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. As such, Bennett Place also marks a spot in our nation's long journey towards freedom for all. The surrender officially returned those states to U.S. control, making the U.S. Army responsible for maintaining the freedom promised in 1863 with President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Records from locally enslaved people often comment of celebrating freedom when news of "the surrender" reached them.

Bennett Place State Historic Site is located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Rd., Durham, NC 27705.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural ResourcesThe N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov.

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