Destiny is not a matter of chance and no child of coincidence.
Greenwood
The making of
As a Black woman, an artist and a storyteller I am dedicated and committed to telling the stories of Black people. I’d love to just paint pretty pictures all day, but I can’t. My spirit won’t let me. This Greenwood project has been on my back for a while now. I could feel the spirit of the Black Wall Street community tapping me and whispering to me to tell their story. My goal is to make sure they are not forgotten and their story is told the best way I can. Is this a commission? No. Did someone tell me to paint this? No. My spirit said to paint it and God will handle the rest. Who am I to question God?
It began when I saw this photo of the little boy holding an injured or deceased sibling in his arms–almost dangling as if the child is deceased. The sweet and innocent look on that child’s face captured me as he sought help–while probably confused as to what is going on. I think about him often and I always wondered –what ever happened to this child? By creating this painting of Greenwood, my prayer is that it opens the door for the other stories of massacred Black towns to be told.
Other massacres in the United States-- there is St. Louis in 1917, Rosewood, FL in 1923, Colfax, LA in 1873, Wilmington, NC in 1898, the Atlanta massacre in 1906, Elaine, Arkansas, 1919, and Oscarville, GA (better known as Lake Lanier), Springfield in 1908, Chicago in 1919, Fort Pillow in 1864, Memphis in 1866, New Orleans in 1866, Colfax in 1873, just to name a few.
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I started this project in 2020. I loaded up my truck and secluded myself in the mountains of Rabun Gap Georgia at my artist residency at Hambidge for 2 weeks. Working on tragic art is not something that can be done overnight. I also had to prepare my mindset. I took breaks through the years to travel, laugh, research and create other works for balance. As an artist, that is important.
As artists, we are not just storytellers, but we are also historians. In a time where the attempt to erase Black history is strong, my passion and dedication has to be stronger.
Yes, the composition of Greenwood is influenced by Picasso’s Guernica painting. The bombing of Guernica was destroyed in a similar way. However, history remembers Guernica which happened in 1937. Greenwood happened in 1921. The spirit of Picasso nudged me to use the influence. Besides, it will create dynamic discussion in the future once.
Greenwood is a diptych. A 2 part oil painting that spans up to 11 feet in length by 4 feet high. I wanted to paint it as big as I could to immerse the viewer into how large the life of the Greenwood community was and how devastating the impact of the destruction of this beautiful community of ambitious African American people.
