Guardian of Culture: Willard John

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Culture Bearer, Willard John. The backdrop of Fort Christian was the ideal location for this interview. If you’ve seen Moko Jumbies dancing at any parade or Jump Up on St. Croix, you’ve seen his protégés of the Guardians of Culture. One of the top performers is Willard’s own son Ayo. Willard’s days of performing are few and far between these days but he is busy with his mission of training the young ones.

December 16, 2020

Saving Our Traditions

In teaching the youth, he stresses the importance of maintaining the culture and history of their bloodline. It has been a constant battle for us as US Virgin Islanders to keep as much of our culture as time starts to blur the memory of who we are and where we came from. It also helps to determine where we’re going and our place in this world.