Descendant Stories

History Before Us | Mar 21, 2025

Join us as we explore Historic Stagville and the Horton Grove plantation with Military Veteran Ricky Hart, Chairman of the Board of the Stagville Descendants Council. Ricky's deep connection to this land runs through his family's history — his father, uncles and ancestors were born and raised on this very site, some living on the site until 1975. We also discuss how the Stagville Descendants Council works tirelessly to amplify the narratives of the enslaved community, ensuring their voices and histories remain central to the site's interpretation. Through education, advocacy, and programming, the council honors the memory of those who came before while fostering a deeper understanding of this significant part of American history.

Join Stagville Descendants Council Executive Board Members Ricky L. Hart & Beverly Evans as they share the stories of their ancestors with CBS 17.

News Article: Living American history: The legacy of Stagville Plantation

Stagville Plantation Descendants have Historic Homecoming in NC

ABC 11 News | Nov 15, 2024

In an emotional journey bridging nearly two centuries, descendants of enslaved families returned to Durham's Stagville Plantation, marking 180 years since their ancestors were forced to walk 500 miles from North Carolina to Alabama.

News Article: Descendants make historic return to Stagville Plantation in Durham: It's an emotional trip'

Slavery in NC: Preserving names, stories of those who toiled in captivity - and their descendents 

WRAL TV | Feb 27, 2023

 There's a place in North Carolina where you can step into the inner workings of a plantation that enslaved hundreds of men, women and children. Today, Stagville works to make sure their stories are told and their names remembered. 

Descendants help plan a memorial to honor Stagville Plantation’s enslaved families

Raleigh News & Observer | Jun 24, 2021

Ricky Hart shares his understanding of the brutal conditions endured by his ancestors who were enslaved at the Stagville Plantation, and expresses his support for the installation of a memorial in downtown Durham, N.C., to honor them. Video by Casey Toth / The News & Observer

Healing on the Land: Historic Stagville

N.C. Historic Sites, Historic Stagville | Mar 31, 2021 

In this video, Historic Stagville hosts Monèt Marshall, A.yoni Jeffries, and Gabrielle E. W. Carter in conversation at Horton Grove. These three Black North Carolina artists discuss how their farming, food, art, history, and music are gateways to healing. Together, they ask how sites of mass slavery, like Stagville, can become sites of healing for Black Americans. This conversation was recorded on the grounds of Horton Grove, the only surviving slave dwellings from the Bennehan and Cameron plantations. Stagville and Horton Grove are among the largest and best documented sites of slavery in North Carolina. 

To learn more about the site or plan a trip to Historic Stagville, please visit the Historic Stagville State Historic Site website.

Durham's Stagville Plantation a somber reminder of the South's beginnings with Black America

ABC 11 News | Oct 23, 2020

This video follows Executive Board Member Georie Holman Bryant as he discovers his family’s deep ties to Historic Stagville, where his great-great-grandfather and relatives were enslaved. Through his reflections and the site’s interpretation, it explores the brutality of slavery, the resilience of families like the Holmans and Walkers, and the lasting legacies of those who transformed their skills into thriving lives after emancipation. Today, 160 acres of Stagville remain to preserve and share these powerful stories.

News Article: Durham's Stagville Plantation a somber reminder of the South's beginnings with Black America

Historic Stagville State Historic Site, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | Oct 8, 2020

Trombonist and vocalist Bill Amey traces his roots to Durham, NC, where his great-great-grandparents Anderson and Winney Amey settled after emancipation from Stagville, one of the South’s largest plantations. His family went on to establish the William Amey Funeral Home and Florist Shop, a cornerstone of Durham’s Black community for nearly 50 years. In this video, Bill Amey—named after his ancestor Anderson—returns to Historic Stagville to perform his composition Africa with guitarist Kennedy Atkinson and vocalist Nicole Sibalo Chagwiza. The piece, written from the perspective of an enslaved person torn from their homeland, serves as a moving tribute to those who endured slavery at Stagville and a reminder of both legacy and change. 

To learn more about the site or plan a trip to Historic Stagville, please visit the Historic Stagville State Historic Site website.