Bringing Black Hills Sheroes to Life: Joyce Jefferson’s Gift of Storytelling

written by Karen Holzer

Storytelling is defined as the social and cultural activity of sharing stories. Joyce Jefferson, a regular performer at the High Plains Western Heritage Center, moves storytelling to a new dimension as she shares the stories of several black women and their journeys into Dakota Territory.

For the past few years, Joyce has performed for the Road Scholar travel groups and other bus tours at the Heritage Center in Spearfish, SD. Most recently she has been sharing the life journeys of three Black Hills Sheroes, as she refers to them, - Sarah Campbell ,“Aunt Sally”; Lucretia Marchbanks, “Aunt Lou”; and Mary Kercherval, “Aunt Mary”.

Each of these black women traveled to Dakota Territory in the late 1800’s, in the aftermath of the Civil War and their freedom from slavery. Joyce says, “With remarkable creativity, resourcefulness and fortitude, these women built respectable businesses, owned land and were fondly remembered during their lifetimes and long afterwards.”

Storytelling radiates from Joyce through her movements, facial expressions, and pauses of reflection. The stories she shares flow from her heart as she becomes her characters - feeling and expressing their suffering, heart aches, and achievements through the journey of life.

Her audience is swept into years gone by, into the history of land, family, conflicts, and journeys. Words spring to life as Joyce recounts the sometimes overlooked life stories of Aunt Sally, Aunt Lou and Aunt Mary.

On stage, melodies of songs from slavery times are sung by Joyce. The words help define the time and place of the women’s experiences. Joyce pauses and reflects as she begins her storytelling and then again as she transitions into each character. In the transition the women speak to each other, moving the audience into a new time, a new story, a new character.

As Joyce comes to the end of the women’s stories, she takes the stage as herself. She introduces herself and shares a little of her own journey as a black woman and a storyteller of black women in the Black Hills.

Joyce works independently through several speaker bureaus including the South Dakota Humanities and the South Dakota Arts Council. Through the years of her research and performances she has shared stories of Katherine Davis Chapan Tillman, the Dakota Daughters – Wounded Knee Massacre, Betty Blair- Homesteader Extraordinaire, and Dakota Daughters – Daddies’ Dreams. Her business, Joyce Jefferson Creates Stories in Song, allows her to provide performances that weave narration, poetry and song for her audiences.

Joyce is humble and thankful of her own life journey. She is quick to comment that she appreciates friends who have encouraged her, believing in her and her ability to share stories that she holds dear to her heart.

Joyce shares a special thank you to High Plains Western Heritage Center director, Karla Scovell, for providing the encouragement and opportunity to develop the Black Hills Sheroes and become a regular presenter. Karla recognized the desire of participants on the bus tours to learn more about African Americans that moved into the Dakota Territory, and reached out to Joyce.

Joyce says she pondered the opportunity with prayer and reflection, hesitant of her direction. Then true to her nature, she began researching and developing the character profiles she now shares. With a smile, she refers to her performances as edu-tain, educate combined with entertain.

In closing, it is fitting to share a poem that Joyce penned (see back page). The content, style and theme provide a peek into her life journey, along with an inspiring message for others.

Special birthday wishes to Joyce on her August 30 birthday. Best wishes to Joyce as she enjoys her next trip around the sun!

Simply Opportunity

By Joyce Jefferson

Someone asked me to... so
I said, “Yes.”
Maybe I wasn’t ready... so I
Prayed, played, planned, prepared and practiced.
Limp or lofty goals you might say but
“Yes,” is what I said.

Say Yes to Opportunity

Opportunities knock when
People are not looking for them
Perhaps the opportunity is not clear
Or the opportunity seems not to exist
Revise that idea-call upon the Lord!
Take a beat-it’ll come back to
U
Now, that simply how my career found me
I said, “Yes!”
Thank the Lord!
“Yes,” is what I said.