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.