Virgin Islands masquerading has received a national platform through a new Smithsonian Folklife Magazine article by Crucian educator, artist and cultural steward Stephanie Chalana Brown. The work appears in the Smithsonian's “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250” series marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Brown presents masquerading as a living tradition shaped by African, European and wider Caribbean influences under centuries of colonialism, enslavement, resistance and cultural exchange. The practice combines costume, movement, music, satire, spirituality and public celebration while carrying distinct meanings created in the Virgin Islands.
The article connects the tradition with the Crucian Christmas Festival, Virgin Islands Carnival on St. Thomas and St. John Celebration. It also describes how current culture bearers teach drumming, dance, costume-making and the history behind the performance so younger Virgin Islanders can participate with context rather than encounter masquerading only as spectacle.
Brown directs the V.I. Education Department's Division of Cultural Studies and founded Keeping Masquerading Traditions Alive. Her Smithsonian contribution argues that the territory's experiences of colonialism, citizenship, African survival and Caribbean creolization belong within the national story, even when conventional histories overlook the islands.
The Education Department and cultural organizations should build a public digital archive linking oral histories, costume documentation, music, teaching materials and festival performances, with culture bearers retaining clear credit and control over how their knowledge is used.
Source published August 26, 2026. Read the original reporting or release for the complete record.
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