Description from the artist:
We are daughters of the Civil Rights Movement. Born into a history of struggle and joy. Our collaborative project emerges out of the poem “Mixed Heritage” by Malia Connor.
The poem is a love letter to Malia’s daughter Oni and a call to remember and honor family and ancestors. Malia and Oni are of mixed racial heritage. We are invited into the mosaic of their family history. Hers’ is not a color-blind or “post-racial” vision.
It is recognition of true and deep, real diversity in our blood. The poem reaches beyond a single family to talk about us, the children of the Civil Rights Movement. We are all of “mixed heritage” as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. Because of the work of our parents, we had unprecedented freedoms and access to different cultures, dreams, and ideas. We freely mixed and matched from the diverse worlds around us. As adults, and as parents, we want to insure our children honor the past and strive to keep the dreams of their ancestors moving forward.
Tradewinds is one of nine panels from the poem Mixed Heritage. We work collectively mixing our artistic backgrounds: poet, choreographer, painter, illustrator, designer and mixed media collage artist.