The Stagville Descendants Council
(SDC)
Motto: "Journeyed this far by faith"

Stagville Descendants Council headquartered in Durham, North Carolina was formed to help preserve the history of the descendants of the Cameron-Bennehan (Stagville) plantation. The mission of the Stagville Descendants Council is to serve as a resource to assist the public in researching their family genealogy from Stagville. In a program designed to strengthen and preserve the extended family, the Stagville Descendants Council supports and enhances family values and renunciation.

We see the descendants as a catalyst for carrying out critical extended family functions such as providing a sense of belonging and concern, transmitting a sense of identity, direction, and strengthening values of love, caring, respect and responsibility.

The Stagville Descendants Council emerged in 2006 because of the many request for information after two previous family conferences. The executive planning committee recognized from the response and request for services and information that it could begin to work with families outside of traditional family structures. However, it would need to have a more organized and permanent existence. Thus, the Stagville Descendants Council was formally established.

The Stagville Descendants Council, supports, encourages, and perpetuates cultural awareness of our ancestors, community revitalization, health education and issues, leadership, economic development, religious and cultural ancestral heritage of our people, by means of educational seminars, workshops, presentations, cultural events, and community meetings.

One major goal of Stagville Descendants Council is to convene a Descendants Reunion Conference. This conference will be initiated in 2008.

The benefits and purpose of the Descendants Reunion conference will serve as a vehicle for empowering and strengthening families, using reunions as the conceptual framework. Workshops will be planned and focus on organizing a reunion to include such broad based subjects as tracing one’s genealogy, family empowerment, leadership, clearing secrets, conflicts, resolution, healing, old family wounds, health, counseling, philanthropy, and reconnecting with “disenfranchised” family members. We are looking for those that are willing to contribute to the dialogue regarding responsibility of families.

Phone calls and inquiries for information arrive nearly everyday. The activities of the Stagville Descendants Council have generated a great amount of media attention. Published article also included the Stagville Descendants Council as a resource for further information.

Our Vision
To be a visual and living resource to the descendants of the enslaved people of this land, to remind them that we are treasured pieces of Gods creation, which was put (and to some extent still) under unspeakable pressure, producing beautiful and precious people for the world to see. Every precious stone has a history.

Our Mission
To serve as a resource to assist the descendants and public in researching there family genealogy from Stagville and other plantation that came from the Cameron-Bennehan extensive collection of plantations around this country. We are a program, designed to strengthen and preserve the extended family. The Stagville Descendants Council supports and enhances family values and reunification.

Authority
Under the non-profit canopy of the Stagville Society, SDC operates as an auxiliary with its own leadership, and financial accounting.

Value
Maintaining a cohesive family unit; uphold our values, and taking responsibility for our actions.