George Washington Carver National Monument 6th Annual Storytelling Day

George Washington Carver National Monument is pleased to host the 6th annual “Storytelling Day” event on Saturday August 27, 2022, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. This event celebrates the National Park Service’s 106th birthday (August 25, 2022) and focuses on stories about American culture and history. Come hear the stories of diverse experiences and special places and spaces from these dynamic storytellers. Our history is part of who we were, who we are, and who we will be.

This event will take place outdoors under a tent and is FREE of charge. Everyone is encouraged to bring a lawn chair and a sack lunch and stay for all three performances. Storytelling Day is co-sponsored by the Carver Birthplace Association, with support from the Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Missouri Humanities Council.

11:00 a.m. African American Composers (performed by Cherry & Jerry) – Black composers were on the forefront of United States popular music; ragtime itself was the combination of African syncopation over a European march beat and formed the basis for the development of blues and jazz. Growing up as the children of formerly enslaved individuals, many black composers and musicians had to navigate-and even perpetuate-racism in popular entertainment as they grew their careers. Cherry and Jerry’s program will feature ragtime, blues, jazz, and Broadway.

12:00 p.m.  Buffalo Soldiers: From Slave to Soldier (as portrayed by George Pettigrew, John “JR” Bruce, Donna Madison) – The Buffalo Soldiers represent an amazing human story of the journey from enslaved to soldier in United States history. Educational messages include well researched stories of how the black soldiers became Buffalo Soldiers and little-known contributions to settling the western frontier. Meet Cathy Williams the only woman to serve with the Buffalo Soldiers. The Buffalo Soldiers heritage is in Cuba, WWI and WWII including the Tuskegee Airmen and the first National Park Service rangers. This presentation is a part of the Missouri Humanities Council Show Me Missouri Speaker’s Bureau.

1:00 p.m. Beyond the Circle (Native American Stories and Dance) – Beyond the Circle dancers is a cultural exchange through Native American song and dance. They represent Navajo, Ottawa, Ojibwe, Zuni, and Apache tribes. The dancers have performed and powwowed all over the United States sharing their heritage and culture through traditional song and dance.