While I was writing my debut novel, Loves Troubadours – Karma: Book One, I created a painting entitled “Love’s Troubadours” that celebrates the TRUTH I expressed in the lives of my characters: Black folks ain’t monolithic.
I wrote a longer statement on the painting.
“Black folks ain’t monolithic. No folks are. You dig! When Deno and I started writing the novel, we wanted to show the depth and breath of Black folks loving themselves and each other in and out of life’s joys and pains… in and out of our identities… gender… class… religions… ages. We wanted to tell the truth that Black folks are love’s troubadours.”
During that time, my mom Theresa told me stories about my grandaunt Odessa Mae Gartin Anderson and granduncle Joseph (“Joe”) Henry Gartin. They were the children of my great grandparents, Frank Louis Gartin and Ida Mae Farmer Gartin, and the siblings of my grandfather Robert Warren Gartin, Sr.
Mommy told me Aunt Odessa and Uncle Joe were both gay and lived in a Black gay community in Dayton, Ohio, in the 1940s and 1950s. She was close to Uncle Joe who encouraged her to learn and play classical music on the piano. He was one of her favorite uncles.
Ever since I learned about them, I have felt their ancestral love and presence. Aunt Odessa and Uncle Joe are two of the reasons I included Black gay and lesbian characters in my novel, Love’s Troubadours. I wanted to honor them by imagining and celebrating how they might have lived and loved in a society that was more open and accepting of their sexual orientation.
When I think about family, the Februllage Day 20 prompt, the family members that may not be discussed or celebrated because they lived lives outside of what society deemed acceptable come to mind. Every time, I look at Aunt Odessa and Uncle Joe’s photos, I see two brave human beings who did the best they could with what they had while they walked Mother Earth. They deserve to be discussed and celebrated because I believe they loved themselves enough to try and live their truth by moving to Dayton. I decided to use my Februllage Day 20 digital collage entitled “Aunt Odessa and Uncle Joe, Two of Love’s Troubadours” to celebrate them. They remind me to love myself enough to live my truth.
I started the collage with a brown background and several black Ghanaian Adinkra symbols. My “Love’s Troubadours” painting was placed on top of the Adinkra symbols. Black and white photos of Aunt Odessa and Uncle Joe were also included.
YOUR INVITATION
As you reflect on the question below, click on the video and listen to my song, “Ancestral Medicine” that is featured on my debut album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter.
Think about your loving + wise + well ancestors who are not discussed and celebrated by your family. What can you learn from them?
Ananda Leeke 