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Join TRANSART for the “Pinkster 2024: Joy Is An Act of Resistance" Celebration!

May 18th – 21st in Kingston, NY!
Sojourner Truth Park | Old Dutch Church | Senate House State Historic Site | Boys and Girls Club

Join TRANSART as we celebrate Pinkster 2024: Joy is an Act of Resistance! This year we are inspired by the theme “The Strength of Our Spirit”. We honor our ancestors’ ability to find joy in times of hardship and highlight the importance of celebration and restoration as we continue to drive progress forward. 

Hear a powerful rest sermon from Tricia Hersey, New York Times bestselling author of “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto”, ground in historical fact with Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American history, New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, move your body with the invigorating Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, embrace the spirit of Pinkster with the lively Pinkster Players, and so much more!

 Imagine for a moment that your life today, your freedom, your joys, and struggles, were once a dream – the vision of an enslaved African woman napping on a sunny Pinkster day years ago. Imagine that as she slept her spirit floated across space and time and she saw you here today. Imagine that when she awoke to music and laughter, she began to dance with lightness in her steps for she knew in her soul that her people would be free. Imagine that her spirit will dance with us this Pinkster.  

 Rest and joy allow us to zoom out and see beyond our current circumstances. As we make space for both, we remember the inherent beauty of our souls and gain access to the wisdom of our bodies. When we rest, we can see clearly that the rising social and political tension we are witnessing - these resurging forces of control and opposition - are nothing new. They are the same old pain body with a new face, and we already have the tools we need to liberate ourselves.

When we rest, we remember that every movement is a prayer, that every smile is a radiant beam of light in the darkness, that every laugh is an echo of the words spoken by the prophets and leaders who came before us. It is our duty to rest and dream, to craft the vision future generations will make real. This Pinkster, celebrate with us and restore your spirit as we embrace rest in all its forms.

Pinkster 2024: “Joy Is An Act of Resistance" Celebration Schedule!

This program is subject to change.

REGISTER NOW!

PINKSTER HISTORY

In early 17th century New York, during the observance of Pinksteren (Pentecost), Dutch settlers spent the week in church, eschewing all other activities and they freed their enslaved Africans, on which their economy and households were dependent. The enslaved took the opportunity to see those from whom they were separated; it was the sole time that the enslaved had agency over their own affairs. The Africans celebrated their time together with drumming, dancing, food, and the ritual of shared parables. Through this expression of art and culture, the African community sustained itself; the rigors of oppression were ameliorated. The joyful spirit of Pinkster attracted everyone in the community to join the festivities, momentarily bypassing color and class. Pinkster festivals continued into British rule and flourished into the 19th century.