I am a Woman of Melanin, whose ancestors were primarily from the continent now known as Africa. I am an artist of many sorts. Because my ancestors have navigated through American history my origins are decimated, unknown but for a few specks of certainty. When I think of identity it is beyond a challenge to not turn to what I don’t know.

What I do know is that I am a creator, a woman of African descent, a Mother, Daughter, a Sister. A dancer who navigates “in the wilderness of North America” as my Father would say. I realize that I am a warrior. A beautiful warrior.

I connect with the symbol Wawa Aba, an Adinkra symbol from the Akan culture, that represents resilience, perseverance, and strength. The symbol is shaped from the Wawa seed known for its toughness. The earthly colors in circular patterns located at the base of my spine (the jacket), represent my ancestral seeds. The Wawa Aba symbol superimposed upon the black and white pattern are for my ancestors known and unknown that support and guide me in my daily life. The black and white pattern is magnified Mudcloth,  whose origin is also in West Africa and signifies protection. The jacket is an adaptation of an African garment worn by women; shape influenced by colonizers but made completely with African fabric sometimes known as a “Tibas" pronounced “Tie-Boss.”