Historic Jarvisburg Colored School Juneteenth Celebration

June 20th, 2026
Historic Jarvisburg Colored School grounds
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Join community members and visitors for a special celebration of the Historic Jarvisburg Colored School and Juneteenth. The event will have presentations on the history of the school and Juneteenth along with musical performances. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the Historic Jarvisburg Colored School Board’s scholarship program. Food and drink will be available on site along with a bounce house for our younger attendees. There is a possibility that the new statue of John Jasper White will also be unveiled during this event! Check the tourism website for any updates: northernouterbanks.com/signature-event/historic-jarvisburg-colored-school-juneteenth-celebration/
The long-awaited bronze statue of John Jasper White will be unveiled during the Juneteenth celebration at the Historic Jarvisburg Colored School on June 20, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
John Jasper White, also known as Currituck Jack, was an enslaved mariner in Currituck County during the Revolutionary War. In February 1780, the schooner Polly departed Currituck Sound carrying supplies to Charleston with crewmen Caleb White, Samuel Jasper, and Currituck Jack aboard. Captured by the British privateer Fame, the Americans were imprisoned while Jack was tied to the mast after an unsuccessful escape attempt. After convincing the British that he could serve as a skilled sailor and cook, Jack gained their trust and was released. Under cover of darkness, he freed the imprisoned crewmen, and together they overpowered their captors, reclaimed the vessel, and sailed safely into Annapolis, Maryland. Jack’s bravery saved the crew and earned praise from the Continental Congress and North Carolina leaders. Years later, after gaining his freedom and taking the name John Jasper White, he became a ship owner and respected member of the community. Today, he is remembered as one of North Carolina’s overlooked Revolutionary War heroes.
Currituck County was honored to receive a grant from America 250 NC, a program of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, to help fund this commemorative project. The sculpture was created by Stephen Hayes, a Durham-born contemporary artist whose work explores African American history, identity, labor, and social justice through sculpture, woodcuts, installations, and mixed media. A graduate of North Carolina Central University and Savannah College of Art and Design, Hayes is nationally recognized for powerful public art that gives voice to Black experiences in America. He teaches at Duke University and received the 2020 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art.