Where I Am

I live and work on the land established by my paternal great-great-grandparents in 1908. My great-great-grandfather was a Mason and skilled carpenter who built the family home using the land's materials. My great-great-grandmother was a strong-willed businesswoman who ran the farm, a boarding house, and a foster home. She was also a pillar of the local Black community. When banks denied loans and realtors refused to sell land to members of the Black community, Sarah E. Johnson was there to help them establish their own legacy. It’s her legacy that I stand on. ¶ My parent’s still live in the original home built in 1908. My home stands where the chicken coop once stood. And my studio practice is housed in what was once the stable. This is one of the many ways we honor and continue their legacy. ¶