SPIRIT OF SANKOFA
Completion Date: (July 17th)
Virginia Museum Of History and Culture
428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd,
Richmond, VA 23220
Lead Photographer: Katrina Taggart-Hecksher
Framed in the recently passed “Crown Act”—which bans discrimination against natural hair in schools and workplaces—a timeline made of locs is adorned with symbols of Black American history that echo cultural trauma. These symbols are rooted in triumphs over past and present adversities, and manifested in modern inequities in mental health. Let this piece stand as a memorial to Marcus-David Peters, who has become a symbol in his own right.
Inspired by the recent protests against social injustices, Ian and Jowarnise explore the stigma surrounding mental health in today’s society. This collaboration calls for us all to tend to mental health and meet those in need of care with compassion instead of indifference or violence.
In the spirit of the Akan symbol of Sankofa, we recognize the importance of looking to the past to make positive progress.
“ I hope the art draws attention to a history of events and complete people to really aim to understand how the past has shaped our present, then take the knowledge of our past and use it in our present to come together to make a positive progress.” - Jowarnise
The Artists
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Jowarnise Cason
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Ian C Hess