This body of work began intuitively, employing a modernist approach, responding to my thoughts about the continued violence committed by police against by Black Americans, feminism and the reverence I have for Black women, including my ancestors. I was influenced by a recent excellent show at the Met, Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara. The figurative sculptures in carved wood and clay informed both the formal and narrative aspects of this group. I was thinking about women as vessels, containers of life, family and community. I like to work in series to visually tell a story which, in this case, developed organically. I am interested in the interconnectedness of humanity and the complicated intersection of race and colorism in America. I revere the dignity, strength, power and poise that Black women possess in the face of life’s challenges and systemic racism. Viewing ourselves through this cross- cultural lens blurs the line between our differences and emphasizes our commonalities. This is alliance activism.