HEARTS Junion '24: Ancestry, Dance, Live Grooves, and More

You are invited to Junion ‘24, an exploration of local history through the lens of genealogy, along with live music, dance, nature, and more. It all happens Saturday, June 22nd, from 2:00-5:00 at Huntersville’s historic Cedar Grove and Hugh Torance House and Store. Junion ‘24 is the third annual HEARTS Happening exploring genealogical roots through the Reunion Project. Designed to inspire and enhance our community’s shared sense of place, these grass-roots events are known for juxtaposing regional history and ecology with curated local music, visual art, and dance in multi-faceted, place-based programs. Junion ‘24 is a free community event, donations are welcome.  

Junion ‘24’s featured speaker is genealogist Andre’ Kearns, presenting Tracing an Emancipated Mecklenburg County Family through the 1870 U.S. Census. Says Kearns, “Just as slavery split families apart, emancipation created new families. The 1870 census was the first in which formerly enslaved people appear. These emancipated households often represent blended families, and research is required to understand how household members connect with one another.” Kearns will share how he used the 1870 census and other tools to uncover the family story of his formerly enslaved second great-grandmother Caroline. 

Kearns is a descendant of Charlotte Kerns, enslaved to James G. Torrance who built the Cedar Grove plantation. He holds degrees from Morehouse College and Harvard Business School, serves on the board of the National Genealogical Society, and is Co-chair of the HEARTS Reunion Project. 

Kearns has also been instrumental in creating a definitive list of names of those enslaved at Cedar Grove. Totaling 138 overall, these names will be presented in the halls of Cedar Grove for Junion 24’ in honor of their contributions to this land and our community. Guests are invited to share words for a collaborative poem dedicated to the ancestors of Cedar Grove.

Junion’s musical guest, International Groove Nation, will bring the groove to Cedar Grove. This Charlotte-based band is a collective of talented musicians presenting the best of various styles of popular music; everything from dance tunes, rock, modern R&B, and classic soul. As they like to say, “It’s time to get into the Groove!”

Also returning to Cedar Grove is dance company Moving Spirits, Inc., founded in 2011 by acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and educator Tamara Williams. Moving Spirits, Inc. brings to life the dance traditions of the African diaspora in the American South. Williams graduated from Florida State University in 2006 with a BFA and earned her MFA in 2015 from Hollins University. In 2016 she joined the faculty of UNC Charlotte, where she is an Associate Professor of Dance. In 2021 Williams was awarded an Arts and Science Council’s Emerging Creators Fellowship for her recent study of the Ring Shout tradition.  

Next door, the Hugh Torance House and Store will be open from 2:00-5:00 offering local artisan goods and fresh local honey, snacks, beer, wine, sundries, and more.  Plan to come early and/or stay late to enjoy the historic grounds and tour the oldest standing store in NC. The Hugh Torance House and Store is one of Mecklenburg County’s few surviving 18th-century structures and is adjacent to Cedar Grove, the 1831 Greek Revival home of James Torrance, son of Hugh and Isabella Torance.