Jo and Joy Banner, founders of the nonprofit Descendants Project. Credit: Descendants Project Facebook Page.

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An environmental and historic preservation nonprofit, The Descendants Project is hosting a series of events, which include panel sessions and a preview of an exhibit on the 1811 German Coast slave revolt, at the Woodland Plantation in LaPlace, where the rebellion originated.

The three-day “Julyteenth” event, from July 17-19, a term created by the organization to reflect both Juneteenth and St. John’s emancipation date in mid-July 1864, marking when enslaved people gained freedom in July 1864, over 18 months after the Emancipation Proclamation. 

“This is not something new; communities have long held their own emancipation days,” said Jo Banner, co-founder of the Descendants Project. “We’re using this as a way to highlight our freedom day in St. John the Baptist Parish and to connect it with the broader movement.”

While Juneteenth is celebrated nationally on June 19, the Descendants Project’s “Julyteenth” event aims to remember the River Parishes’ unique history of resistance.

At the event on Thursday, a panel session titled “The Stories We Carry: Harriet Tubman’s Legacy of Liberation” will feature Harriet Tubman descendants and scholars exploring the challenges of preserving Black history through a deeply personal lens.

The panel includes Tubman descendants Dr. A.J. Brickler and Dr. Alexander Dumas Brickler IV, author Edda Fields-Black, author of COMBEE and a 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner; and Amber Mitchell, the first Curator of Black History at the Henry Ford Museum. 

For the Banners, Tubman isn’t just a historical figure, but she’s a living source of strength. “Harriet Tubman’s story is one everyone knows, even when they don’t know Black history,” Banner said. “Her legacy of liberation, strategy, and leadership is exactly what we draw from today as we push for systems change.”

“We’re not just honoring Harriet Tubman as a symbol,” said Banner. “Her descendants help bring her humanity forward with her love of education, her closeness to children. That makes her story personal, and it reminds us of what’s at stake when we lose our history.”

At the event on Friday, an exhibit preview titled “Women of Resistance” will showcase new research on the roles of enslaved women in the 1811 German Coast uprising, the largest slave revolt in U.S. history. 

Jo and Joy Banner, the co-founders of The Descendants Project, and Sultana Harris, the new Interim Executive Director of Woodland Plantation, will be involved in a meet-and-greet session at the event.

Held at the historic Woodland Plantation, the exhibit will spotlight women’s often-overlooked contributions to acts of rebellion and modern environmental justice.

“There’s so little focus on the women in the 1811 revolt,” said Banner. “We wanted to change that by uncovering and sharing their stories. As women leading this advocacy work today, it felt important to show the continuity.”

Saturday’s celebration will include music, food, and a festive atmosphere, all aimed at educating while inspiring hope. 

At the same time, Banner and her sister, Dr. Joy Banner, are preparing to take this message beyond Louisiana to the United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, where they will resume discussions on a global effort to combat plastic pollution. 

The talks are scheduled to take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 5 to 14.

Through “Julyteenth”, the Descendants Project aims to do more than celebrate; it hopes to liberate, one story at a time.