BACK TO ANGOLA FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY OAKTREE COMMUNITY OUTREACH

In 2017 Oaktree’s President Daphney Towns saw a history marker that spoke about Andros Island in The Bahamas,her mother’s birthplace. The marker at the Manatee Mineral Springs Park in Bradenton, Florida spoke of the Angola Maroon Community that once resided on the Manatee River in the period of 1812 – 1821. Seeing that mark was the beginning of the birth of the Back to Angola Festival. Towns’ mother was from Andros and she knew of the Black Seminoles from Andros. In 2018 Towns organized the first festival bringing together descendants of the maroons who made their way to Red Bays , Andros in The Bahamas, historians, educators and the community. This cultural, heritage festival tells the story of some of the first residents on Bradenton, shares their culture that continues today in their descendants through rich traditions in basketweaving, wood carving, food, and more, it also speaks to the resilience of a people.

Join us March 7–8, 2026 for The Back To Angola Festival in Bradenton, Florida, for a powerful historical, cultural, and educational heritage gathering celebrating over 200 years of shared legacy between the USA and The Bahamas .