This month, cultural icon Willard John was named one of the 25 Taproot Fellows by the national funder, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). This fellowship, supported by the Mellon Foundation, recognizes his work in educating youth about the importance of moko jumbies in Virgin Islands culture.
John was among the 25 fellows chosen from across the United States out of 100 applicants. Receiving this prestigious honor means that John will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding and an additional $10,000, which must be used for community-focused projects.
John, known hugely for his group, Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies, headquartered on St. Croix, has lived on the big island for over 30 years. Originally from St. Thomas, John moved to St. Croix in 1979.
John said that during his time at an HBCU international university, there were students from all over the world, specifically from Africa. In the evenings, they would sit and discuss their culture, where they came from, and other topics.
“In those discussions, I felt bad because I didn’t think I knew enough about my culture and my history,” said John. He attended a Catholic school in his primary school days and at that time they didn’t teach anything about Virgin Islands culture or history. “What I knew about my culture was how I lived,” said John.
He told himself when he graduated and returned home, he would immerse himself in some aspect of Virgin Islands culture and become an expert. “I didn’t know what it was at that time,” said John. He came home and he was living and working until one day his cousin approached him to learn moko jumbie. “My immediate answer was no. I am not going up in them thing,” John said with a laugh.
His cousin repeatedly asked him, and he finally gave up in 1974. John made his debut in the St. Thomas Carnival in April 1975. “The rest was history,” John said. In 1979, he moved to St. Croix, and at that time there were no active moko jumbies. He started teaching people and went through several groups, but it wasn’t until 1993 a counselor at the Ricardo Richards School asked, “Why don’t you start a group at our school,” and after much persistence, they established the “Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies.”
John said the mission of the Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies is to promote, preserve, and educate about this unique art form, to which John said he has dedicated his life doing. “We currently have 40 members in their academy and the youngest eight years old,” said John.
Over those 31 years, John has taught 400 young people the art form that is seen at carnivals, festivals, agricultural fairs, and many more local events.
“I think that one unique thing about the Guardians of Culture is that we are focused on history and education. We are traditional moko jumbies so at all times I do things to remind people from where we come. That this art form originated from Africa. We dress a certain way, and we move a certain way. For example, we are one of the few moko jumbies that will always wear a mask,” said John. These are some of the things that John tries to maintain.
“It is important to me that we show that we are a group, that we practice and do things together,” said John.
John mentioned that he was selected after being nominated by someone at the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts. After being contacted, he was asked to apply for the fellowship. Out of hundreds of applicants, he was one of the 25 selected. John explained that the application process involved submitting pictures, videos, and other requested information.
John was recently honored with the 2023-2024 Crucian Christmas Festival Village being named after him for his accomplishments in the Legislature. “That helped them in choosing me,” said John.
John’s “Mokolution the evolution of the Moko Jumbies” presentation breaks down the history into three timelines. “There is the African timeline, the old time West Indian timeline and there is the modern timeline and each timeline I demonstrate how they dressed, danced, what music they used and the history behind it,” John said.
His mission, with the additional funds from his award, will be to spread this education to St. John, St. Thomas, and Tortola.
“Cultural preservation is important. Culture is dynamic not static and that is something you cannot stop, that process. I look at my leadership as making sure people know from where we come. Know that this art form originated in Africa, know the context in which it originated and know how it developed into what it is today,” said John.
The other winning artists’ profiles can be viewed here.
