400 Years
African America was founded in 1619 when the first enslaved Africans were brought to the Jamestown colony. Our founding fathers included mothers as well, united in the bondage of chains and mutual support. Together they established a unity, a politic, and a culture which is what defines a nation. Although many methods were used to control and minimize our people, our memory and resolve remain unbroken.
Celebrate Slavery?
We don’t commemorate enslavement, we commemorate our ability to overcome it. we commemorate our ability to survive and to thrive in the face of tremendous adversity. The history of African America is not just American history. It’s part of that history but runs parallel to it. In 400 years we’ve created music, political and cultural (s)heroes, art, speech patterns, spirituality, and political awareness that is unique to us. Yes, it’s a Black thang and difficult for others to understand.
A Long Time Coming
This piece is dear to my heart. I first conceived it at the beginning of the year. The design went through more variations and reworkings than any that I’ve done before. The idea is very important to me and helps define my life and work. While working on it I came to realize what should have been very obvious. The seven principles of the Nguzo Saba were formalized by Maulana Karenga in 1966 but we’ve practiced these ideas since the beginning and they’ve been instrumental to our survival. They remain the keys to our future.
Prints up to sizes of 24″ x 30″ are available now at Fine Art America