Completion Date: (Sept 5th)
Location: 2928 North Ave
Richmond, VA 23222

Lead Photographer: Brenda Soque Assistant Photographer: Katrina Taggart-Hecksher

Emerging from the tear gas and smoke of the recent protests with the sun behind her, “Liberty Leads Her People” is meant to be an uplifting tribute to the strength of the modern day Black Femme led protests throughout the country. She is flanked by an owl, looking back towards the past and symbolizing the spirits of the ancestors, the mothers and grandmothers whose wisdom and sacrifice brought us to this point in history. On her other side, facing the forwards towards the future, is a sparrow, representing youth and spring. She is both a nod to the hymnal “His Eye is on the Sparrow”, which speaks to freedom, and a symbol of the youth who are the inheritors of the future. The lines behind the work show that all three generations, past, present, and future, are all connected throughout time. Completing the circle of time, are floral elements which are a reference to Alice Walker’s Piece “In Search Of Our Mother’s Garden”, which talks about the muted creative potential of Black generations past. The flowers have been chosen for their symbolic meaning. Purple and White Iris’ for wisdom, the green rose, which was used as a symbol of the underground railroad, and the bird of paradise, selected because it originates in South Africa, and was brought to America through colonization.

The painting is loosely based on the Eugene Delacroix painting “Liberty Leads The People”, which was painted during the French revolution, and spoke to the people toppling a cruel and out of touch leadership, and shows a woman leading the charge. Auz and Nico have taken this image and modernized it to the more inclusive figure leading the charge over Richmond, megaphone in hand, and demanding equity, and a brighter future for the next generation.

During the process of designing and painting, Auz and Nico went out and had active conversations within the community in regards to the current uprising. They spoke with prominent community activist Chelsea Higgs Wise about the aims of the protests and the role of womxn leading the way. The artists also led conversations at Girls For A Change’s Camp Diva Garden party with Black girls, about what change they wanted to see for Black girls in their community. They also included a series of readings, which can be found on Nico’s IGTV, that were written by Black Womxn revolutionaries such as : Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, and (with special guest Nadd Harvin) Assata Shakur. During the process of painting, the artists also yielded their space to Reformation Richmond, which held a teach-in which talked about problems with systemic racism, the death and birthday of Fred Hampton, and Virginia legislation in regards to the Marcus David Peters alert, as well as ending qualified immunity. Both measures are currently struggling at the state level.