Witness history come to life through the powerful story of York, the enslaved member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Renowned reenactor Hasan Davis joins us to launch our new series celebrating the 250^th anniversary of America.

Hasan Davis, J.D., is an award-winning living-history performer, transformational teaching artist, and nationally respected storyteller whose work sits at the intersection of history, performance, and public memory. Through immersive interpretation and reflective dialogue, Hasan helps museums and cultural institutions create experiences that move beyond information toward connection, empathy, and meaning.

Central to his artistic work is his acclaimed portrayal of York, the enslaved African American explorer who traveled with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Drawing on historical research, embodied storytelling, and audience engagement, Hasan restores York’s humanity and significance—inviting visitors to reconsider familiar narratives of exploration through the deeper lenses of freedom, identity, and recognition. His performances open space for honest conversation about whose stories are remembered, whose voices are missing, and how history continues to shape the American present.

Hasan’s commitment to this work is grounded in both scholarship and lived experience. Once a system-involved youth navigating learning disabilities, poverty, and court involvement, he was transformed by educators and mentors who believed in his potential. That journey carried him from alternative schooling to college, law school, and leadership as Commissioner of Juvenile Justice for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where he advanced trauma-informed and hope-centered reform.

Today, he brings that same commitment to dignity and human possibility into museum spaces, using performance to help audiences encounter history not only as something that happened, but as something that still calls us to responsibility and hope.

As the nation approaches the America-250 commemoration, Hasan’s work offers museums a powerful way to deepen public engagement, centering stories that expand our understanding of the American journey while inspiring visitors to imagine the future still being written.