ON DISPLAY UNTIL - March 20, 2021
Scarab Club | 217 Farnsworth St, Detroit, MI 48202
ALSO ONLINE: www.soulsofblackfolk.com
One ever feels his twoness - an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts,
two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
But what of black women?... I most sincerely doubt if any other race of women could have brought its fineness up through so devilish a fire.
To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships.
These words of W.E.B. Du Bois are over 100 years old and they still rang true. With the death of George Floyd and the amount of pain and in many cases, guilt I have seen poured in our streets and in our media, I went back and re-read "The Souls of Black Folk" and now I come to you.
This is not about W.E.B's philosophy or if we agree to it or not. There are many Black philosophers past and present we can learn from. This is about bearing our souls and our truths. It is about controlling our narrative. As artists, that is what we do and I am asking you to do that with me.
This project, Souls of Black Folk: Bearing Our Truths will be a collection of works by African American artists based on W.E.B. DuBois' Soul of Black Folk AND our daily experiences as Black Americans and artists.
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ARTISTS
Asia Hamilton
Carl Wilson
Carole Morisseau
Charlene Uresy
Charles Miller
Cydney Camp
Desiree Kelly
Mandisa Smith
Monica Brown
Phillip Simpson
Rachel E. Thomas
Ralph Jones
Rita Dickerson
Sabrina Nelson
Sydney James
Olivia Guterson
Taurus Burns
Yvette Rock
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GOAL:
To develop an exhibit at the Scarab Club and online exhibition that is a powerful representation of Black life and Black artists in Detroit
Ensure that this exhibition and experience is led by Black artists and embodies the Black narrative.
Use this exhibition and current events to push a platform to talk about racism in the arts and the real change needed to support and cultivate the work and careers of Black and other artists of color.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT: www.soulsofblackfolk.com