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).

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.