Nzinga's Daughters

News Release Date: July 16, 2013

Contact: Emily Prigot, 508-996-4095 x6105

Songs and Stories of the Underground Railroad at National Park Summer Concert Series 

Nzinga’s Daughters to present free concert, Thursday, July 18 

New Bedford, Mass. — The 2013 Thursdays in the Park Concert Series continues its weekly summer series with a performance of songs and stories from the Underground Railroad featuring the Connecticut based ensemble Nzinga’s Daughters. The free concert takes place Thursday, July 18th from 6:30-7:15 in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park garden (33 William Street). In the event of inclement weather, the performance will be moved indoors to the National Park Theater. 

Nzinga’s Daughters is a five woman ensemble whose members share their gift of song and story to educate the public about the history and cultural achievements of Africa and the African Diaspora. The Daughters are best know for their “Underground Railroad” performance which invites the audience to experience the creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance employed by African American slaves in their efforts to shepherd runaway slaves to safety. Because slaves were prohibited from learning to read or write, they developed an elaborate system of communication which included embedding coded messages into the verses of Negro spirituals. Nzinga’s Daughters perform for schools, universities, senior centers, festivals, community events and a variety of cultural venues from New England to Ghana West Africa. 

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The National Park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open seven days a week, from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-3 PM. For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov, or visit the park’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NBWNHP 

-NPS-