It’s Day 8 of my #Februllage digital collage-making journey dedicated to celebrating my loving + wise + well ancestors!
The prompt for today is CONCRETE.
Family foundation is what I think about when I hear the word CONCRETE.
My grandparents’ Dorothy Mae Johnson Gartin and Robert Warren Gartin, Sr. laid the family foundation for the Gartins in Indianapolis, Indiana. They started with their love, care, and commitment to their five children in a house they owned on Cornell Street in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. A photo of the house is included in the collage.
When they bought another house and moved to N. Adams Street, they continued to love and care for their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Now that they are ancestors, they have expanded their love and care to touch every person who is born into our Gartin family.
This collage is called Concrete Family Blessings. The blessings are my grandpatents’ love, care, and work ethic.
I used a photo of part of my paintings “One Drop of Black Blood #1” as the base of the digital collage. The painting was made with red, black, and brown acrylic in 2006. It honors the power of Black people’s blood.
I placed four black Abusua Pa symbols in the corners of the collage. Abusua Pa is a Ghanaian Adinkra symbol that represents family unity, kinship, and support. It reminds me to honor the concrete family foundation my grandparents created and appreciate them for loving and caring the best they knew how as imperfect human beings.
Black and white photos of my grandparents and their five children, Robert Jr., Janet (died as a baby), Phyllis, Theresa (my mom), and Veronica are included.
In 1980, my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a fancy party. During the party, they took a picture with their 12 grandchildren and one great granddaughter. That photo is included in the collage.
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 as you reflect on the question below.
What blessings have you received from your loving + wise + well ancestors that you have incorporated into our family’s foundation?
Ananda Leeke 