And We Do This in Remembrance of HARRIET
(2022)

Hand-cut collage on watercolor paper, ink

I found deep connection with Harriet Tubman in 2021, in the midst of pandemic loneliness. I felt her spirit come for me. I love meditating and daydreaming about her as an ordinary person. I felt so familiar with Harriet as someone with unwavering faith and who lived without fear. But Harriet was human. I like to gaze at the stars and ask about her fears; I meditate on her, pre self-emancipation; as Araminta. She probably experienced much internal negotiation, fear, and hopelessness while discovering her boldness and agency. Freedom called out to her, and she probably felt the weight of how impossible that reality seemed. I’m grateful for her belief in herself. She is my light. Because of her, I believe more liberation and emancipation is possible for us.