Reception to follow
Purchase tickets in advance online or pay at the door.
Suggested donation: $100/ticket
Crossing Waters is deeply committed to equity. Pay-What-You-Can is always an option.
Crossing the Waters Institute for Cultural Exchange (CTW) invites the
community to attend a special fundraising event at First Parish of Sudbury. This event aims to raise funds for CTW’s upcoming 2025 pilgrimage to Benin, West Africa, a significant cultural and spiritual journey for descendants of the African diaspora to reconnect with their ancestral roots.
The 2025 pilgrimage to Benin is a key initiative of CTW, marking the organization’s
ongoing mission to heal the wounds of slavery through education, cultural exchange, and spiritual reflection. The pilgrimage will take participants to Ouidah, Benin, one of the most significant ports in the transatlantic slave trade. The journey is designed to honor the ancestors who were taken from these shores and to foster healing and dialogue between descendants and local communities.
It is the culmination of the 25th anniversary of the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage (1999-2024), a 13-month journey from Leverett, MA to Ouidah, Benin, that retraced the historic slave trade routes and opened paths for spiritual and cultural healing. Twenty-five years later, Crossing the Waters Institute for Cultural Exchange continues this important work by fostering connections between the descendants of the African diaspora and their ancestral homeland.
“The Benin pilgrimage is not just a journey for us, but a journey for the entire African
diaspora,” said Askew. “Through this fundraiser, we are inviting the community to walkwith us in spirit and support this significant step in our collective healing.”
The Performance: “Water, Wind, Sails, Bones”
“Water, Wind, Sails, Bones” will be presented as a staged reading on November 16 at
First Parish of Sudbury. It is a powerful performance piece that weaves together dance, poetry, music, song, and the rhythmic pulse of African drumming to tell the story of the Interfaith Pilgrims’ journey and the harrowing experience of the transatlantic slave trade. Through evocative movement and sound, the performance brings to life the emotions, struggles, and resilience of those who endured the Middle Passage. It serves as a tribute to the ancestors, while also capturing the spirit of the pilgrimage—honoring the past and seeking healing and reconciliation for the future. This deeply moving piece will be presented during the 2025 pilgrimage to Benin, as a key element of our cultural and spiritual exchange.