Virgin Islands Moko Jumbie Makes Waves at the Democratic National Convention
Yisrael “Allan” Petersen, a self-taught legendary moko jumbie, made history this past week when he became the first moko jumbie to make a series of presentations at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
2024-08-27 12:35:14 - VI News Staff
Born and raised on the island of St. Thomas, Petersen began stilt walking formally at the age of nine when he was recruited to be a part of the first moko jumbie troupe in the Virgin Islands established by Alvin Ali Paul. “I have been doing this for decades. I began in the early 70s. From a little boy, I’ve been coming up in the parades and participating in exaggerated performances, including the 1979 Super Bowl Half-Time Show,” Petersen said.
“My beginnings were humble. I taught myself to stilt walk initially by using Goya cans and a bunkbed ladder. When I felt ready, I fabricated my own stilts and transitioned to using those. I remember going out and cutting down branches off of trees to make my stilts. I’ve always been fascinated by the moko jumbies and the tradition of the craft. I started and never stopped,” Petersen said.