A Story of Bones

A Story of Bones - Join us for the film screening followed by the discussion by Peggy King Jorde with Kwame Kwei.

The PARR Network, Centre of African studies, AFFORD & African Remembrance day, SOAS Library present

As Construction Environmental Officer for St. Helena's troubled airport project, Annina van Neel learns about an unmarked mass burial ground of an estimated 9,000 formerly enslaved Africans. Haunted by this historical injustice, she and African American preservationist Peggy King Jorde fight for their proper memorialization, exposing the UK's colonial past and present.

About Peggy King Jorde:

Peggy King Jorde is a Cultural Projects Consultant combining more than 30 years of experience in planning, design, public art, and historic preservation projects in New York City and beyond. King Jorde served under three NYC mayors, including the Honourable David N. Dinkins providing comprehensive oversight of all capital construction projects specific to New York's cultural landmarks, public art, and art museums. Her range of support spanned project planning, development, management & design.

In 1990, King Jorde was thrust into the limelight as a pivotal figure in the fight to protect a 17th century African Burial Ground that was rediscovered during the construction of a federal office building. Under her leadership, King Jorde as project director & contractor to a federal agency, developed and led the nationwide architectural design competitions for the African Burial Ground National Memorial and Interpretive Center. Participating in a panel with art professionals , King Jorde was a leading voice in public art commissioning for honouring the historic site.

Today King Jorde lends considerable focus to consulting for developers, working with the community and civic-based preservation efforts, and lecturing aimed at building awareness and building advocacy for cultural heritage in marginalized communities in the US and abroad. She has consulted government and community stakeholders on a development project in the British Overseas Territory of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. The project is believed to be 'the largest burial ground of enslaved Africans direct from the Middle Passage.' King Jorde is a film participant and producer in the British documentary about the project, entitled "A Story of Bones," which premiered in June 2022 at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC.

About Kwame Kwei-Armah:

Kwame Kwei-Armah, OBE is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2005, Kwei-Armah became the second black Briton to have a play staged in the West End, when his award-winning piece Elmina’s Kitchen to the Garrick Theatre. He was the first black Briton to head a major British national theatre, when he took the directorship of the Young Vic in 2018. He stepped down in the autumn of 2024. Kwei-Armah was appointed an OBE in the 2012 Birthday Honours list for services to drama.

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