In case you didn’t know, I am participating in #Februllage, an annual collage challenge created by the Edinburgh Collage Collective and the Scandinavian Collage Museum that invites collage artists to make a ‘collage a day’ throughout February using the OFFICAL WORD PROMPT CALENDAR (primarily happens on Instagram).
I am using my #Februllage collages to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History and to honor my loving + wise + well ancestors on my mom Theresa’s side.
STAR is the prompt for my #Februllage Day #5 collage. Today’s collage is about pouring libations and giving thanks for my Bolden family ancestors. They represent some of my Ancestral Stars, a sacred tribe of ancestors who love, guide, and protect me.
I used a black and white photo of my great-great-great grandparents, Sarah Ellen Martin Bolden and John Thomas Bolden, Sr., and their children that was taken in 1885. Family members lived in Jefferson County and Jennings County (Vernon and North Vernon), Indiana.
Their eldest son, William Henry Bolden is my great-great grandfather and the father of my great grandmother, Iona Hazel Bolden Johnson King. That makes him my grandmother Dorothy Mae Johnson Gartin’s grandfather.
To honor their ancestral love, presence, and protection and our family’s Black History, I used red, black, and green Nsoromma (Akan word for star) symbols.
Nsoromma is a Ghanaian Adinkra symbol that reminds me Creator and my ancestors love, guide, and protect me at all times.
The red, black, and green colors come from the Pan-African flag that was created as a response to racism against African Americans in 1920 with the help of Marcus Garvey, Jamaican freedom fighter and founder of The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.
Red represents the blood that unites all people of African descent. Black represents the people of African descent. Green represents the abundant wealth of Africa.
YOUR INVITATION
Click on the video below and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter.
1) Where do your loving + wise + well ancestors come from? Name the countries, states, cities, towns, and/or counties.
2) Have you ever visited or would you like to visit these locations?
3) Do some research and plan a visit to one location. Include the places you want to see.
Ananda Leeke 