Tristian Griffin's Black Palimpsest Performance

A movement-and-sound ritual at Stagville where ancestral memory, resistance, and enduring Black presence rise from the land.

THE BLACK PALIMPSEST is a choreographic and sonic offering that traverses Durham’s sacred landscapes, centering the Stagville Historic Site—once among the South’s largest plantations. Through movement, sound, and ritual, ancestral memory rises from the soil, carrying stories of pain, resistance, and rebirth. Guided by Tristian, a collective of artists—dancer, poet, singer, DJ, visual artist, and musicians—conjure layered histories that shape Black identity. At its heart, Tristian searches for ancestral truth, suspended between fact and intuition. In communion with the land, THE BLACK PALIMPSEST becomes both remembrance and revelation—an invocation of spirit, lineage, and enduring Black presence.

Featured collaborating artists: Pheenix Leeor, Trevor Turla, Dr. Poet T.L. Sanders, Maya Freelon, and BADALASKAN

Charter Bus Transportation (with no ADA compliant)Charter transportation will be provided from the Rubenstein Arts Center, Durham, Address: 2020 Campus Dr, Suite 209, Durham, NC 27708

Boarding: 3:20 pm – 3:40 pm in the back of RACDeparture: The bus will depart promptly at 3:40 pm

The shuttle includes a history talk about Stagville and Durham, presented by Stagville descendant Michael Williams.

Persons driving directly to Stagville should arrive at the barn prior to the 4 p.m. performance start