Pinkster Home Joy Is An Act of Resistance About Pinkster Artists & Scholars

Join TRANSART for the “Pinkster 2025: Joy Is An Act of Resistance" Celebration!

June 8th at Old Dutch Church in Kingston, NY!
Join TRANSART in celebrating Pinkster, a historic Afro-Dutch holiday rooted in the Hudson Valley. What began as a traditional Pentecost holy week transformed into a lifeline of joy, expression, cultural preservation, and social organizing. This year, we highlight the restorative powers of breath and the black imagination to tell the story of Pinkster. 

Pinkster was a week of temporary freedom for enslaved African people in the Dutch colonial region of America, a brief respite from unimaginable conditions. Throughout the 1700’s African people throughout the Hudson Valley gathered to celebrate with music, food, dancing, and commerce. Many Dutch joined the annual celebration, which became increasingly multicultural. Beyond celebrating, many Pinkster attendees met to organize, share information, and seize the opportunity to self-emancipate.

Pinkster Sunday at Old Dutch Church!

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PINKSTER HISTORY

In early 17th century New York, during the observance of Pinksteren (Pentecost), Dutch settlers spent the week in church, eschewing all other activities and they freed their enslaved Africans, on which their economy and households were dependent. The enslaved took the opportunity to see those from whom they were separated; it was the sole time that the enslaved had agency over their own affairs. The Africans celebrated their time together with drumming, dancing, food, and the ritual of shared parables. Through this expression of art and culture, the African community sustained itself; the rigors of oppression were ameliorated. The joyful spirit of Pinkster attracted everyone in the community to join the festivities, momentarily bypassing color and class. Pinkster festivals continued into British rule and flourished into the 19th century.