For decades, Jonelle Dennis was and still is the first person I look for whenever I visit campus. I claim her as my cousin-in-law because she’s a Cape Verdean like my husband, Byron. Jonelle is the Vice President of Keeping It Real Insights, a title I made up. I don’t know her exact title, but I’m confident it does not capture her many jobs and roles. 

She is an advisor, friend, and multi-departmental liaison for students and staff, especially alums and newcomers who need a safe place to regroup. Jonelle is a cheerful repository of campus knowledge, having worked on campus through several presidents, policies, and the pandemic. She knows where all the bones are buried!

Jonelle is kind and creative and an ambassador for Black alums like me. She is the director of the Alumnae House Art Gallery and an Alumnae Relations and Development department staffer.

– Sylvia Lewis ‘74

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Artful adventures are vital to normalizing and integrating art into an educational experience. Smith College Museum of Art’s (SCMA) art-making activities and engagement with the artworks are primary paths to enjoying the museum. We were impressed that ‘Beacon to the World,’ our Black (African American artists) art gifts on exhibit, inspired art-making projects and provided learning opportunities. 

Art museum learning allows people to open up to new ways of seeing, experiencing, and connecting to themselves, others, and the broader world. In the museum setting, the young and old learn from each other, as well as from docents and guides, museum educators, artists, and professionals.

Here’s an excerpt of how SCMA’s activities and programs direct the local school children and people of all ages:

-Do Art-making at the museum. Visitors are encouraged to use supplies like pencils, crayons, clipboards, and drawing paper from the cart in the coatroom to sketch and write in the galleries.

– Dialogue is encouraged. Visitors are directed to “Add your thoughts and ideas to the Talk Back: Art in Conversation installation on the museum’s lower level. While you’re there, don’t miss the artist-designed restrooms!” 

-Engagement with the art is supported. “Ask children questions to spark discussion. I’m wondering what’s going on in this picture. What do you think? What do you see that makes you say that? What more do you see? What do you think might happen next in this picture? Why? With abstract works of art, invite them to name the feeling that the artwork evokes.”

-Participation is an important activity, especially in SCMA’s family programs, such as Free Second Friday (hands-on art-making for all ages, inspired by works on view).

–“Take breaks and return as often as you like.” The atrium next to the museum is available for snack breaks.

-Extend your artful adventure by exploring the beautiful Smith College campus’s outdoor sculptures and the Botanic Garden.  

-For more ideas about visiting with children, email us at museduc@smith.edu. 

Thanks to a generous gift from alumnae, the Smith College Museum of Art is free to the public.

Second Friday Art-making

Here are some photos from the Second Friday at SCMA in July. Richard Watson’s “Maxine” inspired the art-making activity—photos by Cloud Osmond ’24. 

The post Artful Adventures with Black Art at Smith College appeared first on Narrative Network.

I was honored to lead a ‘Gallery Talk’ with students on campus about the art my husband Byron and I gifted to Smith College. The students explored art and read labeled histories to discover our shared humanity and community.

I was prepared to discuss the arts and activism from a personal perspective. I also wanted to discuss the ‘white gaze’ and the ‘Black Feminist Gaze.’ We will get to those ‘gaze’ topics another time. 

I discussed the Black Arts Movement (which I am a product of), a global cultural arts movement from 1965 to 1975 that was a response to American white supremacy and a way to fortify black – and African American culture. We considered the Black Arts Movement an extension of the Harlem Renaissance in New York. The movement’s goals were artistic, self-empowering, and community-oriented. It included establishing Afrocentric repertory theater companies, discovering and supporting visual artists, and public art projects, and going high-gear into publishing, literary, creative ventures, filmmaking, dance, theater, and more.

Most of the artists featured in our collection were leaders and part of the Black Arts Movement. The Black Arts Movement included Black artists in many genres—painters such as Betty Blayton and Romare Bearden, writers such as Sonia Sanchez, a UMass and Amherst College professor, and a poet called the ‘mother of the Black Arts Movement,’ a person whom I lived with and worked for as an au pair to her twin sons. 

We discussed racism and colonialism, why few Black artists were featured in museums and mainstream galleries, and the reparative and restorative work currently taking place in museums like SCMA.

Here are some of the Student Questions

• How did you get started collecting art?
• Do you remember the first piece of art you bought?
• How did you approach adding pieces to your collection?
• Are you more drawn to subject matter, artists, etc.?
• Is there work that you still want to add to your collection?
•  Please talk about your current and past experience and legacy at Smith.
• What prompted the creation of BSA (Black Student Association), and what impact do you think BSA should have now?
• You and your peers advocated, self-governed, and took action to establish spaces for Black students when such efforts faced significant resistance.
• What strategies or principles would you recommend to today’s students who want to create transformative change in their communities or institutions, particularly in environments that may not always be receptive?
• How has the role of BSA evolved over the years, and why do you believe it is still essential for Black student communities in predominantly white institutions to have such alliances? 

• With growing emphasis on STEM fields as pathways to economic mobility, how do you see the role of Black students in the arts, dance, and theater as equally vital?
• Why is it important for Black voices and stories to continue flourishing in these creative spaces, especially in a world that increasingly values STEM
• Looking back at your impact at Smith and beyond, what gives you the most pride? 
• Is there anything that you would like to see today’s Black Smithies continue or take in a new direction?

(The Gallery talk was co-sponsored by Smith College Museum of Art and the Mwangi Center, c/o the Office of Multicultural Affairs.)

Gallery Talk Photo Highlights

“The Keeper,” a limited print by artist Charles Bibbs, was donated to the Black Student Alliance (BSA) by Sylvia S. Lewis ’74 and her husband, Byron E. Lewis Sr. It is currently displayed at the Mwangi Cultural Center, inside the director’s office at Smith College, @mwangi_smith. The artist said that we are ‘keepers’ of our culture. His artwork is known for African American images that convey a feeling of spirituality, majesty, strength, and dignity.

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The star attraction of the ’74 Reunion Weekend festivities was the Sylvia & Byron Lewis art acquisition aptly called ‘A Beacon to the World’ exhibit. The Class of 1974 returned to Smith College this past May for their 50th reunion with friends and fellow alums for a weekend filled with joy and nostalgia. Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) hosted a special reception and private ‘behind the scenes’ tour. The exhibit ran from February through October 2024. This show attracted hundreds of visitors to the museum–the largest number ever,” said a SCMA security official who has worked there for decades.

“Since its February opening, the Lewis & Lewis art exhibit has drawn unprecedented visitors, especially during the Reunion weekends. The diverse audience, including alumnae, faculty, staff, art professionals, and even local school children, created a vibrant energy and inclusive atmosphere. This unique collection brought together a community eager to experience the beauty and significance of African American art,” an SCMA official said.

Witnessing this historic African American art installation and reception was poignant and a day of pride. The Class of 1974 was a historic group because it featured Smith College’s largest class of African American women—10%—100 Black women out of the 1000 classmates! Celebrating half a century since their graduation in a space where Black students and visitors were once unwelcome was a welcomed change. 

Alumnae Comments

“Beautiful, impactful, exceptional, and generous. Blessings to you and Byron.” Denise Wingate Matierre ’74

“I can’t express how wonderfully impactful and generous your art collection will be for art lovers for generations. I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it.” Martha Yar boro Coates ’74

“Hi Sylvia, I made time last week to visit your and your husband’s exhibit at SCMA. I have to be honest and admit I don’t know much about art, but I enjoyed viewing the pieces and especially reading about each artist. I loved the vibrant colors in many of them and was drawn to the smaller pieces grouped. My time in the gallery also calmed and slowed me down–something I rarely do during a busy work day. Thank you for that time. The SCMA is a gem; your generous donation is much appreciated.

I look forward to welcoming your classmates back to campus and the museum. My best, Jodi Fallon Fern, Class of 1974

Many alums marveled at the college’s growth and development. They were incredibly impressed that art and museum studies are now vital to a Smith College education.

Finally, African American artists are included in the American art canon, where, for centuries, we were relegated to the margins of the art world.

The “Beacon to the World” exhibit was a powerful testament that reflected themes of love, hope, interconnection, and growth that resonated throughout my 50th reunion’s spirit of building community.

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When “A Beacon to the World: Art from the Sylvia Smith Lewis ’74 and Byron E. Lewis Sr. Collection” opened in February 2024, it was a historic moment for the legacy of African American artists and the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA). This art installation, which closed in October 2024, marked the most significant alumnae acquisition (over 25 paintings and sculptures) of African American art ever gifted to SCMA. What a coincidence that this art show opened during Black History Month!

Landmark Alumnea Gift  

“Yes, it’s the largest gift of artwork by Black artists for sure. I looked back through our credit lines, and the majority of works we (Smith College Museum of Art) had previously by Black artists were purchased by the museum rather than received as gifts,” according to Emma Chubb, PhD (she/her) Charlotte Feng Ford ’83 Curator of Contemporary Art.

Smith College president Sarah Willie-LeBreton expressed her gratitude for this extraordinary donation: “Smith is deeply grateful to Sylvia and Byron Lewis for this remarkable gift. The Museum of Art is among the college’s most valued resources for teaching, research, and the enjoyment of our students, faculty, staff, and community. Its collection is both broad and deep. The gift of these works adds more strength to an area the museum is dedicated to expanding. Smith welcomes visitors from all over the world to see the Lewis Collection. It has been a pleasure and an honor for me to get to know Sylvia and share her joy in the work of these great artists.”

The Lewis & Lewis collection includes over twenty-five paintings and sculptures by renowned artists such as Richmond Barthé, Romare Bearden, Betty Blayton-Taylor, Frederick J. Brown, Dox Thrash, Louis Delsarte, Elton Fax, Richard J. Watson, and more.  

Legacy of Art

To explain their gift decision, Sylvia Smith Lewis said: “It’s true that our art gifts are part of our legacy. But we did not set out to build a legacy. We were thinking about ‘doing the right thing.’ It’s about gratitude and duty to our ancestors and respecting these Black artists. I felt honored and grateful to Smith for my excellent education and lifelong friendships. So, I gave Smith my first dibs on our entire art collection. We appreciated the consideration and time – several visits to our home and warehouses and reviewing the museum’s collection to see alignments and enhancements. The Smith College team, especially curator Emma Chubb, took a serious approach by submitting a proposal for each piece in the collection.

There were emotional, spiritual, and educational benefits that mattered. Finding a good home for our art is like an adoption. We wanted to find the best home for each artwork. Our private art collection is ready to step out into the spotlight. Despite numerous requests, we did not want to sell to private collectors or present in galleries or auctions.

We were appalled to learn that most art is only seen in private collections! Art needs to be public, to be seen! We’re thankful that visitors are seeing our art on the Northampton campus. It warms our hearts every time we hear about busloads of local school children visiting our art or special events featuring our art. We chose Smith College not only because it is my alma mater but because the campus museum is doing tremendous reparative work.

We have already gifted art to the Studio Museum of Harlem, several Smithsonian museums, and HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). We seek to eventually donate all of our art to worthy museums and public libraries. Our primary collection includes African American, Caribbean, and African artists. When all is said and done about African Americans and our complicated history, our art will bring about understanding, positive change, and a beacon to the world.” 

Sylvia Smith Lewis ’74, an independent arts consultant, journalist, and community volunteer, has long advocated for Black artists in several genres, including visual arts, literature, theater, music, dance, and film. Her dedication, alongside her husband Byron Lewis’ work through his pioneering agency, UniWorld Group, Inc., the world’s largest and oldest Black advertising agency, has provided platforms for African American artists whose work often went unrepresented and marginalized.

Since 1969, Byron’s corporate offices have served as rare art galleries for Black artists to showcase their work, ensuring that the talent and vision of Black creatives reached a broader audience. He often reflected that visiting white executives were awestruck seeing such unique and energized artwork. Byron said it was vital to give himself and his employees an inspired, creative environment that sustained them and helped motivate their pioneering and innovative work. 

Beverly Morgan-Welch ’74, senior deputy director of external affairs for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, who serves on both the Smith College Board of Trustees and the SCMA Visiting Committee, and is a fellow member of the Class of 1974 with Sylvia Lewis, emphasized the significance of the gift: “At this time, cultural institutions are seeking to include women and BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color] artists in their collections and exhibitions.

“Sylvia, always an advocate for Smith and Black artists, has stepped forward to help elevate these artists and SCMA’s collection. She is strategic and generous beyond measure by gifting Smith the spectacular collection she and Byron have lovingly built over their lives. In choosing Smith as the repository for these works, she has affirmed the college’s dedication to the recognition of these artists . . . ensuring that generations of Smith students, faculty, and visitors will be exposed to their work, to learn and be inspired,” Morgan-Welch added.

SCMA director Jessica Nicoll also highlighted the importance of the Lewis and Lewis donation.

“The Smith College Museum of Art is committed to diversifying its collection, with particular attention to acquiring work by artists of color in all periods and media. This transformative gift from Sylvia and Byron Lewis deepens and expands SCMA’s representation of work by artists of African descent. Valuably, it also tells the story of visionary and activist collectors,” said Jessica Nicoll.

The Lewises’ impact extends beyond the collection itself. Their lifelong commitment to activism and cultural promotion resonates through Sylvia’s foundational role as a student in co-founding Smith’s Africana Studies Department, Black Student Alliance, and Black Alums of Smith College (BASC), which grew from her co-leadership as part of the largest class of Black women in Smith’s history.  Sylvia’s dedication to Smith as a student and alumna reflects her broader vision of cultural institutions’ role in developing us as whole human beings.

The exhibition’s timing held a special significance, as Sylvia and all visiting alums had the opportunity to view the works during their 50th reunion in spring 2024. The acquisition stands as both a personal legacy and a broader cultural collaboration, elevating the work of Black artists while reinforcing Smith College’s ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive art landscape. 

Background:  My love and appreciation for Smith extend to the Five College experience- Smith College, Amherst College, UMass-Amherst, Mt. Holyoke, and Hampshire College. This is where I learned about the power of art as activism and where I studied and worked with Sonia Sanchez, Archie Shepp, Max Roach, Nelson Stevens, Romare Bearden, and more. Mt. Holyoke is Smith’s sister school. So, we’re sibs from way back! I spent many a day and evening boarding the 5-college bus going to various campuses, especially Amherst College classes, parties, and gatherings at The Octagon, the town’s first meeting house, the campus’s first natural history museum and observatory, and the site of the Black Student Union. The 70s were a time capsule! The five college campuses were where radical campus student activism, the Black Arts Movement, and the time we established the Africana Studies Departments. Although it is coed now, Amherst College is still my brother, where I maintain lifelong friendships and relationships. We even held a grand Smith-Amherst Black Alums Reunion in Washington, DC (pre-Covid), where hundreds gathered! Besides the Smith-Amherst bond, UMass-Amherst also led the way toward excellence in Black arts, history, and culture education. We were the pioneers and set the gold standard.   

Our first art donations were gifts to Black colleges and the Studio Museum of Harlem. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were the first patrons of African American art. Most white American museums, colleges, art schools, and galleries routinely rejected African American artists. Until the 1960s, legal segregation was the law. African American artists were the leaders who helped our Black communities to ‘make a way out of no way.’

Living with our art is inspiring, empowering, and healing. Buying art was our way of supporting Black artists, preserving history, and maintaining community memory. We did not think of ourselves as ‘collectors’ the way that that word is used today. Living and working with activists and creative artists, we were blessed with their friendships and associations. Most of our art was acquired with love through friendships, not by gallery visits or hired consultants.

 Through community activism and engagement, we loved art’s platforms for dialogue.

My husband, Byron, was among the co-founders of Studio of Museum of Harlem, along with other business and community folks. He helped pay rent for the first Harlem space and donated one of its first pieces of art—a work called ‘Stagger Lee’ by Frederick J. Brown—that opened the museum’s doors. Black artists like Betty Blayton and Romare Bearden and business and community leaders used their limited resources to start museums and art studios to support and train Black artists, acquire Black art, and provide professional guidance.

So, it is with great joy and pride that our gifts are helping Smith College’s museum in its mission to support Black artists. “We hope that our art gift will also contribute to wellness and healing to everyone who sees it,” said Sylvia. 

The Suzannah J. Fabing Programs Fund supported this art installation

The post ‘A Beacon to the World’ at Smith College Museum, A Landmark Alum Gift appeared first on Narrative Network.

Narrative Network’s seasonal Auntyland Film Festival will return soon.

Meanwhile, here are some photographic highlights and excerpts from the recent Smithsonian exhibition “Ad King Extraordinaire, about Byron Lewis Sr., my beloved husband, a pioneering advertising pioneer, and civil rights activist.

“The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is marking the significant impact of UniWorld Group advertising founder Byron Lewis (born 1931) with the addition of materials from his pioneering career to the national collections in a New York donation ceremony Oct. 5.

Lewis founded UniWorld in 1969 to champion multicultural advertising and promote the interests of Black and Latina/o consumers. He and UniWorld took the American market by storm, creating multi-media advertisements for clients such as Mars Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, AT&T, Stax Records, Avon, Ford Motor, Quaker Oats Company, Burger King, the U.S. Marines, and more.”

To read more, go here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-adds-collections-byron-lewis-groundbreaking-advertising-entrepreneur

“Collections from groundbreaking entrepreneurs Byron Lewis and Lillian Vernon will be showcased in a new display within the landmark “American Enterprise” exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History beginning Oct. 17. The two stories, “Lillian Vernon, Kitchen Table Millionaire” and “Byron Lewis, Ad King Extraordinaire,” will be featured in the exhibition’s Consumer Era (1940s–1970s) section.

The exhibit will feature selected objects from across both entrepreneurs’ career trajectories, including Vernon’s original yellow Formica kitchen table and Lewis’ antique French provincial desk and chair. Her kitchen table served as a foundation for Vernon’s home business-turned-major corporation, The Lillian Vernon Corp., and Lewis ran his pioneering ad agency, UniWorld Group, from behind this desk.  

“Innovations in broadcasting, advertising, postwar consumerism and an increased number of women and African Americans in the business world really begins between the 1960s and 1970s,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director. “It is in this ‘consumer era’ that we see entrepreneurs such as Lewis’ and Vernon use their persistence, creativity and drive to launch and see their enterprises thrive.”

To learn more, go here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-adds-visionary-leaders-byron-lewis-and-lillian-vernon-landmark

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Auntyland Film Festival is the newest addition to Narrative Network’s platform. Created during the current COVID-19 pandemic for women and BIPOC artists, the Festival adds a new layer to a multicultural and multi-generational storytelling mission. The Festival is an extension of Auntyland.com, a website that features multidisciplinary arts and literary stories about aunts and a new holiday called Real Aunties Day.

“Since 2019, the pandemic has caused us to live restricted lives and sometimes in isolation. We must use our creative digital resources to stay connected and share our stories in every way possible. We believe our new digital film festival is a great way to expand our connections to each other,” said Sylvia Wong Lewis, CEO and Festival Director.

Deadlines & Dates

Early Bird Deadline: October 15, 2021

Regular Deadline: January 30, 2022

Extended Deadline: February 17, 2022

Notification Date:  February 24, 2022

Event Dates: March 8- March 31, 2022

The festival is set to launch on March 8, 2022, International Women’s Day, and throughout March, which is Women’s History Month.

Film Fest In the Press

From a feature story in Final Draft, a film industry blog:

“The new Auntyland Film Festival (AFF) is accepting short-length indie films by and for women and BIPOC artists for its inaugural film festival through January 30, 2022. The film festival touts itself as the only film festival that “embraces mature women filmmakers and artists of diverse cultures and backgrounds.”

To read more, click here

From the Tribeca Citizen feature:

“Sylvia Wong Lewis had always been a story teller, but her first foray into filmmaking was several years ago, when she received a phone call from a stranger asking her a simple question: “Who am I?” To read more, click here

Send Short Films on any Topic

We welcome short films, 20 minutes or less. “Yes, we want your auntie stories. We welcome stories and trailers on any topic, including food, cooking, gardening, sports, family, politics, home life, pets/animals, climate change, environment, LGBTQ themes, ‘Only in New York,’ and more. Filmmakers are encouraged to bring the bold realness that aunties bring to our lives. We offer cash prizes, special events, and a distinguished panel of judges who will choose the films,” Lewis added.

Submit your film here.
Auntyland Film Festival is proudly sponsored by FilmFreeway, the world’s #1 way to enter film festivals and creative contests. To submit a film, visit: https://filmfreeway.com/AuntylandFilmFest.

A community-based Tribeca film event

Auntyland Film Festival, a community-based Tribeca, New York City event, is part of a multidisciplinary arts platform that operates at the intersection of identity, gender, and age. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), Aunties, and artists on the margins from all backgrounds are encouraged to participate, according to Sylvia Wong Lewis, an award-winning BIPOC filmmaker, journalist, and community volunteer.

Donations

Auntyland is a non-profit organization, fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas. Tax-deductible donations help pay women and BIPOC artists and help defray costs for public community events. To contribute, go to: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/auntyland.

Narrative Network owns and manages Auntyland Film Festival, Auntyland.com, and 1619Brooklyn.com. Contact sylvia@narrativenetwork.net.

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Shifting to the slow lane is the best thing about Fall gardening. I’m no longer on a schedule generated by Spring and Summer’s pace – prep seeds, soil, and containers.  Now that it’s September, the harvest is mostly done, and the growing season is winding down. So let’s stop and smell the flowers and herbs and eat the bounty. It’s time to open our hearts and shift our vibrations to rest. Enjoy the plants that grew and the ones that are still growing.

Slow lane lessons

A slow lane lesson learned while living in quarantine: Every garden, whether big- a backyard or small – a window sill, patio, or roof deck- is a learning space full of mystery. There’s more to plants than you see. They are not silent, unaware beings sitting around making oxygen. Plants are like people. They have secret lives. They are sensitive and make decisions and respond to their environments. Some plants don’t like each other. As a container gardener, I had to learn about plant companionships. Yes, there are a few odd couples and happy accidents growing here.

Musical plants

September’s slow lane groove is definitely here. But there’s jazz up here on my re-claimed roof deck teaming with plant-filled containers.  Sometimes I hear John Coltrane’s rendition of ‘My Favorite Things’ playing in my head as I happily improvise and play in the dirt. Did you know that plants make music? On that note, this NPR article may interest you  – https://www.npr.org/2020/02/21/807821340/the-lessons-to-be-learned-from-forcing-plants-to-play-music

“The music sounds, at first, like it belongs in a power yoga studio: electronic and rhythmic, rising and falling like breaths. But then a higher pitch juts into the mix, and the strains of sound diverge, becoming faster-paced and a bit more like electronic dance music. The rise and swell fluctuate, not entirely predictable. The artists at work are, ostensibly, plants. Plant music is coming to you, or rather, it’s there if you seek it out — and there are plenty of musicians these days waiting to be discovered.” 

 Plant Art

Sometimes I see people in my flowers, vegetables, and weeds. Do you ever imagine your garden as an art supply store or an art studio? I do—a table and a mat function as my canvas. Various plant stems make a fun face outline. Asparagus ferns can add to a hairstyle. Dried and fresh flowers, berries, or beans can reveal interesting characters. I created a ‘Plant People’ art series from found items in the garden. I hope to self-publish a photo calendar one day.

Every garden is a creative space. Whenever I travel, the first thing I do is visit local gardens. I believe that we’re all born artists and that all gardeners are courageous artists. Planting a garden means that you have hope. Gardens help us reclaim our artist souls. Our hearts seek art, and art speaks to our hearts.

Pisces gardening

I learned how to ‘see and feel’ art from art teachers at the Brooklyn Museum. But being a Pisces person, it was always easy for me to understand how to ‘feel and see beyond’ music, art, and gardens. As a musician (piano and viola), I instinctively knew that plants were musical. Pisces is a water sign, and being the last sign in the zodiac, it combines all the astrology signs. So, naturally, a Piscean approach to everything is creative. Pisces’ water element and nurturing ways help plants to grow. But, of course, the Earth signs – Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo – are supposed to be the best farmers and gardeners because their zodiacs are ruled by planet earth! And Fire and Air signs bring a lot to the garden party too. My Sagittarius father and Cancerian mother taught me gardening!  We will get to more astrological gardening in future posts.

So, considering this water-earth sign zodiac connection, I was hoping you could take a listen to my favorite Stevie Wonder (a Taurus) cult classic, Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.

Click here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2dDCUuJkPE

You will enjoy this swim inside Wonder’s songs, especially the title song, The Secret Life of Plants, Send One Your Love, and Power Flower.

Called a “psychedelic botanical masterpiece,” this mostly instrumental album was the soundtrack to the documentary film The Secret Life of Plants, directed by Walon Green, based on the book of the same name by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird.

Climate change grief

Like the rest of the world, climate change affected my New York City roof garden this year. It was devastating. The crazy rainstorms and extreme heat took a toll on my baby plants. They were started from seed. A plant box nozzle got stuck and the box filled with rainwater overnight. Most of the plants drowned by the time I returned after the storm. I experienced true grief. A white-grey powder-like substance spread from the plant leaves stems to the buds and flowers. What was that? I moved the planter to an emergency zone. I needed to fix and adjust my plants and the soil a lot. It took all summer to remedy various minor and serious conditions. It’s all good now. But it was a rough summer.

What’s still growing

Lots of things are still growing in the garden. I feel gratitude. I see bees, butterflies, and birds. My husband Byron and I are well, safe and happy. We see Sunflowers, Marigolds, Echinacea (Coneflower), Black-Eyed Susans, Mandevillas, blueberries, okra, tomatoes, peppers, alliums, shrubs, and trees. The herb garden seems invincible with thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, and marjoram.

Purple food

My best achievement this summer was growing Peruvian purple-blue potatoes in cloth bags. It’s true what they say about home-grown veggies. Those purple potatoes were so tasty. I roasted them with fresh thyme, rosemary herbs, seasonings, olive oil with purple cauliflower, radish, red onion, and peppers. I like to play Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ in the background while preparing my purple food platters!  Do you like purple foods too? I usually post photos of my cooking and garden scenes on my Instagram, silvera88, with hashtags #blackgirlgardening, #roofgarden, #growsomething, and #purpleveggies.

Here’s the link to Prince’s ‘Purple Rain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryT-ltTDCko

Being flexitarian

Gardens teach many life lessons. Being flexible is an important lesson. Living a plant-based ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle truly motivated me to grow food. I re-activated my ancestral farming genes. My grandparents in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, ran a dairy and truck farm. Actually, my husband Byon started it when he designed the roof. It used to be so windy and hot up there. I avoided the space. He had no plans for a ‘garden’ per see. His architects fortified the roof with a steel beam platform to create an urban roof deck. The platform gave us more flexibility and protection regarding roof weight restrictions. I think a whole new building could be built on those beams. He hired a gardener to plant hardy evergreen trees. Besides year-round color, the trees provide wind protection. After a while, I felt the call of my ancestors to do more. Stretch out. Be flexible. There are so many possibilities, no matter what your garden space may be. I started easy by adding flower bulbs, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables. Then I began searching for new containers and plants to put in them. Before I knew it, I was obsessed!

Gardening addiction

Is gardening an addiction? What are the telltale signs? Stories and photographs about Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama’s ‘Victory Gardens’ kickstarted my gardening addiction. Covid19 pandemic definitely revved up an obsession. I already amassed a collection of ‘rescue plants’ from local deli counters and grocery stores! I love garden centers and seed catalogs more than clothing stores! I canceled a Martha’s Vineyard vacation one year because I didn’t want to leave my ‘Three-Sister Garden’ project. For many Native families the three ‘sister’ crops- corn, beans, and squash, grown together in the same plot work together to thrive and survive. I also grow herbs, beans, berries, and greens. I composted my food scraps and joined a local CSA. I became active in the urban gardening movement and considered myself an environmentalist. I attend online classes and conferences. I eat mostly plant foods. These include vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains. Sometimes I eat fish, meat, eggs, and dairy. But I choose mostly foods from plant sources.  So, I’m a true flexitarian who mixes it up with Creole Soul, Afro-Asian, and Caribbean cooking. That’s a spicy Bhindi Okra Masala in the pan (above, left); a Palestinian Caribbean Afro-Asian #Globalbowl with Falafel, Vegetable Biryani rice, Trinidad Curry Channa, Szechuan Green Beans, Jamaican Callaloo (below, left); and fresh-picked speckled lima and cranberry beans from the garden (below, right).!

Urban sanctuary

Evergreen trees, Japanese maple trees, and shrubs in large plant boxes add a sense of serenity, beauty, and wilderness. Most of my edible and medicinal plants grow in several plant containers of all sizes and shapes. A pergola frames part of our outdoor urban sanctuary and creates a sense of height and privacy. We still live a semi-quarantine life because of the Covid19 Variant. We are blessed to go up to our roof to spend daily time outside to enjoy fresh air and sunshine. With this change in seasons, I usually do mini plant makeovers. For more winter colors, I’m exploring small bulbs to bloom in January and February. I am mentally preparing for the winter. But I’m not there yet. Right now, I’m affirming how everything is interconnected and interdependent.

More bloom time

There are still more blooms to come. The Fall season is a lovely spiritual time that represents harvest time. Our lives go through growth cycles and seasons as seen in nature. I’m still trying to decide on some cool weather crop options. Should I plant spinach, kale, greens, bok choy, broccoli, and Brussels Sprouts again? What new perennial flower bulbs will I plant for Spring?  Stay tuned.

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It’s still April and #NationalPoetryMonth! So for hungry, quarantined readers who are stuck at home sheltering from #COVID19, it’s time to look deeper into your kitchen. That’s where you will find food poems by top African-American and Caribbean writers who can satisfy your cravings. Food is their metaphor and main ingredient.

“I think poems return us to that place of mud and dirt and earth, sun, and rain,” said Kevin Young, poet, and director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, on National Public Radio’s ‘The Salt’ program. “And that’s where food comes from, and so there’s this common link,” said Young, editor of a multicultural anthology called Hungry Ear: Poems of Food and Drink.

The writers I chose here cover all of the essentials we need, from collard greens, kitchen grease, berry picking to other important topics. Each of the following poems is as unique as the poets who cooked them up. One poet seduced you with chocolate. Another wondered why you eat healthy food. All of them reflect our culture with nuanced politics, humor, and love.

Top 5 Black Poets on Food

Rita Dove won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for her work “Thomas and Beulah.” She was a U.S. Poet Laureate (1993 to 1995), National Medal of Arts honoree (2012), and an English professor at the University of Virginia. Dove is known for her lyrical style and historical edge. She also writes about music in “Sonata Mulattica” and dance in “American Smooth.“  I acquired an addiction to chocolate during menopause. So naturally, I was drawn to Dove’s ode to the confection called “Chocolate.”  Here’s an excerpt of it, taken from the “American Smooth” collection.

Chocolate

“Velvet fruit, exquisite square

I hold up to sniff

between finger and thumb –

how you numb me

with your rich attentions!”

 Maya Angelou – When I lived in the Bay Area, I had the honor of enjoying Dr. Angelou’s food several times at the home of Jessica Mitford and Robert Treuhaft, her dear friends in Berkeley, California, where she camped out to write and cook. We still grieve the 2014 loss of our beloved storyteller, writer, activist, and author of the 1969 autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Dr. Angelou was also an extraordinary chef, host, and humorist. Her poem “The Health-Food Diner,” published in “The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou,” is a hilarious poke at vegetarians. When you read the whole thing, her razor-sharp humor will get to you. She begins with raw veggies and ends fantasizing about meat. Then, she builds her plant-based crescendo to a frenzy of pork loins, chicken thighs, and Irish stew. Here’s how her poem opens.

The Health Food Diner

“No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak).”

Elizabeth Alexander – I met the distinguished poet, essayist, playwright, and president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in the NYC subways during the launch of her poems in Metropolitan Transportation Authority- NYC Transit’s Poetry in Motion. You may remember Dr. Alexander as the poet who delivered President Barack Obama’s inauguration poem in 2009.  Her “Butter,” included in “The Hungry Ear,” is a vivid tribute to her Caribbean mother and the many delectable ways one can cook with butter. Her British West Indian menu includes Yorkshire puddings in the first half of the poem. Here are some opening lines.

Butter

“My mother loves butter more than I do,

more than anyone. She pulls chunks off

the stick and eats it plain, explaining

cream spun around into butter!”

 Nikki Giovanni – Dr. Giovanni is best known as a Civil Rights poet-activist and co-founder of the Black Arts Movement. She writes about food as memory, sustenance, and aphrodisiac. A humorous and serious poet-foodie, Dr. Giovanni shares stories about her grandmother, aunts, and mother’s cooking at poetry readings. Her book, “Chasing Utopia- A Hybrid,” describes how she went from being the “baby in the family to becoming an elder.” So, while this book is mostly about mourning her loved ones, she spins lovely stories about them through food. This is a must-read for food poetry fans. For example, as she searches for “Utopia” beer to toast her mother’s memory, she explained the correct way to cook grits.

The Right Way

 “My Grandmother’s grits

Are so much better than mine

Mine tend to be lumpy

And a bit disoriented”

 Langston Hughes – He is probably one of the most celebrated literary figures from the Harlem Renaissance. His poem entitled “Harlem” is best known as “A Raisin in the Sun,”  the title of Lorraine Hansberry’s acclaimed Broadway play. This was the top poem mentioned when I asked colleagues to name their top five Black poets who told stories through the lens of food. Most everyone in my generation can recite this powerful poem by heart.  Here are his most famous lines. 

Harlem

“What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

like a raisin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore—

And then run?”

Kevin Young writes from the kitchen table. Covering race and culture, he sings praises for our home life, survival, and resilience. In his recent book “Brown,” he writes about everything literally brown, from us brown people, James Brown, church pews, and everyday life. Here’s an excerpt from Brown.

[Hospitality Blues]

Welcome. Have a seat-

The audience sits.

I insist. I’m your host.

Your money is no

Good here, no good

Essential Poems and Poets to survive #Covid19

I hope these excerpts leave you hungry to explore more poetry. Who are your ‘essential’ Black and Caribbean food authors who can help us survive the current pandemic?

Note: This post is an update of a similar 2015 post on food and poetry.

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Honor the memories. Honor the people who were enslaved here. Honor the people who built Brooklyn. ‘Brooklyn Slavery #400years’ (Project 1619Brooklyn) aims to center New York’s dark secret. We invite everyone to come to our table for community reconciliation, truthtelling, and empathy. Let’s honor and express radical equality at this moment in history!

Invitation: Please join our ongoing dialogue series about slavery framed by history, storytelling, and the arts. Our formats will include multimedia, photography, video, podcasts, blog posts, creative tours, events, the arts, and public activities. Stay tuned for our animated film and new platform, in the works, that will take you on a multimedia tour of our legacy and influence.

We welcome your creative participation via culture and personal reflections that explore themes of slavery, freedom, racism, identity, inequity, memory, and more.

This special project honors the memory of the first Africans who were brought ashore in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, a time now recognized the beginning of American slavery.

This community-based project recognizes ‘400 Years of Inequity’ from 1619-2019. Let’s re-frame the narrative about slavery here in the ‘Deep North,’ specifically in Brooklyn, New York.

Our project’s launch date is set for Indigenous People’s Day (aka Columbus Day) October 12, 2019, to shed new light on the Dutch invaders, their encounters with the local Lenape tribes, the importation of enslaved Africans, abolition, tribulations and triumphs.

“I grew up in Brooklyn and was taught that slavery was a Southern thing and that Brooklyn was filled with ‘settlers’ seeking religious freedom and abolitionists,” said Sylvia Wong Lewis, project director.  “Some of those stories may be true. But a lot of our American slavery history chapters are missing. Today, 400 years later, it’s time to re-chart the American story. Let’s reset the narrative, develop new questions, attempt to find answers, and offer resources to learn more,” Wong-Lewis added.

Inspirations: We were inspired by the organization ‘400 Years of Inequity.’ They have called all people to come together in ‘radical equality,’ as stated in an excerpt from their website cover:

The wonderful Board of Trustees, staff and members of the Brooklyn Historical Society and their  ‘In Pursuit of Freedom’ exhibit, that explores the anti-slavery movement from the end of the American Revolution to Reconstruction, continues to inspire many of us.  Click here to learn more.

My own personal family history as a descendant of enslaved and enslaving people motivates and inspires me to seek truth-telling and empathy.

Slavery arrived in New Amsterdam (Brooklyn) and its environs with the first Dutch invaders (settlers). “While some residents owned their own slaves, others used company slaves provided by the Dutch West India Company, a trading company that governed the colony until 1655,” according to Brooklyn Historical Society documents. To read more, click here.

Would you like to share a family story? Do you want to be featured in our community dialogues–on a podcast, a video, or in a print story? We are scheduling interviews through September 2019. Do you want to write a guest blog post? We can send you guidelines. To participate in our ‘Brooklyn #400Years’ project, please state your interest in the contact form by clicking here.

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