(Portrait features Audre Lorde, a gaze as sharp and clear as a prism, her face framed by a halo of silver-threaded natural hair. She is wrapped in a heavy, woven shawl of deep crimson and earth tones, standing before a backdrop where the jagged skyline of the Bronx melts into a vast, open sea of… Continue reading Black HERstory: Audre Lorde
Tag: Artistry
Black HERstory: Alma Thomas
(“Sovereign Portrait features Alma Thomas with silver hair, surrounded by vibrant, rhythmic dabs of color—her signature “Alma’s Stripes”—with the Sovereign Eye watching over a garden of abstract light.) Written by Dennis Harvell Alma Thomas: The Artist of the Solar Wind The Brilliance of the Wait We often demand that greatness reveal itself in youth, but… Continue reading Black HERstory: Alma Thomas
Black HERstory: Gladys West
(“Sovereign Portrait feature the depiction of Gladys West of quiet strength, centered and sophisticated, embodying the timelessness of the series.) Written by Dennis Harvell Gladys West: The Architect of the Invisible A Map Without Lines We often think of sovereignty as a visible throne or a loud declaration of presence. But for Gladys West, sovereignty… Continue reading Black HERstory: Gladys West
Black HERstory: Wangari Maathai
(“Sovereign Portrait features Wangari Maathi with a radiant, “unbowed” expression, her brow kissed by the warmth of the East African sun. She is dressed in vibrant, earth-toned Kenyan kitenge, holding a single sapling as if it were a scepter. Surrounding her is a lush, rhythmic canopy of indigenous fig and flame trees, their leaves shimmering… Continue reading Black HERstory: Wangari Maathai
Black HERstory: Zora Neale Hurston
(“Sovereign Portrait features Zora Neale Hurston with a sharp, inquisitive gaze, wearing her signature felt cloche hat tilted at a defiant angle. She is framed by the lush, tangled greenery of the Florida Everglades, where the moss-draped cypress trees form a natural cathedral. Swirling around her are the rhythmic, golden scripts of folk tales—words that… Continue reading Black HERstory: Zora Neale Hurston
Black HERstory: Bessie Coleman
(“Sovereign Portrait features Bessie Coleman in a vintage leather aviator’s coat and flight cap, her face set with a gaze that transcends the horizon. She is framed by the swirling, golden-hued propeller clouds of a 1920s airfield, where the sky is rendered in deep, archival ambers and sepia tones. Behind her, the Sovereign Eye watches from a… Continue reading Black HERstory: Bessie Coleman
Black HERstory: Nina Simone
(“Sovereign Portrait features an elegant Nina Simone at a grand piano that seems to emerge from a sea of deep, royal indigo. She wears a towering, intricate headwrap that resembles a crown, and her expression is one of fierce, unblinking intensity. Surrounding her are swirling, rhythmic musical staves that transform into jagged bolts of lightning—representing… Continue reading Black HERstory: Nina Simone
Black HERstory: Miriam Makeba
(“The Sovereign Portrait features Miriam Makeba in a in traditional Xhosa beadwork—necklaces of intricate black and white patterns that cascade like armor. Surrounding her is a rhythmic, golden aura composed of sound waves that morph into the silhouettes of the African continent symbolizing her role as “Mama Africa,” a woman whose sovereignty remained intact even… Continue reading Black HERstory: Miriam Makeba
Black HERstory: Maya Angelou
(“Sovereign Portrait” features Maya Angelou. She is draped in a vibrant, multi-colored kente cloth wrap, her hands folded in a gesture of profound stillness. Surrounding her is a rhythmic, ascending flight of gold-leaf birds—a reference to her “Caged Bird” who finally found the sky. The background is a texture of stacked, ancient books that transform… Continue reading Black HERstory: Maya Angelou
Black HERstory: Major Charity Adams Earley
(Featured Image: The “Sovereign Portrait” of Major Charity Adams, surrounded by the swirling letters and the discipline of her command) Written by Dennis Harvell Major Charity Adams: The Commander of the Six Triple Eight In the Beyond The Bronx library, we honor those who built bridges across impossible divides. Today, our Black HERstory series spotlights Major Charity Adams Earley—the highest-ranking… Continue reading Black HERstory: Major Charity Adams Earley