I’m deep into production for my spring solo exhibition Close To Home at Queens Museum. As you may remember, my In-Situ fellowship at the museum is built around engaging with the museum’s archives and community. My upcoming show at the QM focuses particularly on inspiration and research in relation to the museum’s 1964-65 World’s Fair collection archive. I’m particularly interested in the decolonization of Africa and the Caribbean in the 1960’s and their subsequent self-representations in the 1964/65 World’s Fair – tying that back to what was happening at home here in the US for Black folks – and the evolution of the Black Muslim community especially.
“Deep in the heart of every Black adult, lives some of Malcolm X and some of Martin Luther King, side by side.”
Tomorrow-land: The 1964-65 World’s Fair and the Transformation of America.
Not only is Black History month one of celebration, but also one of reflection. My artistic practice is connected to our history, and I’m constantly influenced by community pioneers, so I’m finding it imperative to be deliberate about this present moment which will eventually be part of our collective legacy. I for instance, play many impactful roles in other people’s lives; as mother, wife, artist, activist, daughter, sister, friend, etc. What about you? As we reflect on history, we should also consider the fact that we will also be ancestors one day. I invite you to think about your special impact in the world – whether that’s in your family, neighborhood or on global issues like the liberation of Palestine, not just during this month but beyond. What would striving to be a good ancestor look like for us right now?
