Collaboratively showcasing and discussing cultural heritage
Dignity Justified is an imagery illumination initiative available to multigeneration individuals, researchers, educators, and others interested in assessing how collections and visual images can be used to explore the culture and history of African Americans.
We offer a variety of interactive lectures, webinars, and seminars to illuminate ideas, images and individuals through the lens of history.
Creating a space to move forward with the misssion.
Thankfully, my suite at the S.G. Atkins Enterprise Center came furnished, so I just needed to add a mix of art, books and a few figurines to make the space stylish and functional. How about a picture conveying a sense of movement and will also serving as a reminder of the focus needed to successfully run the business? I selected a print that vibrantly celebrates womanhood through patterns representing the African American cultural heritage of braiding and quilting. The women are connected as one—a mother braids a daughter’s hair and the daughter braids her grandmother’s, while the grandmother quilts. The print, Links and Lineage, features three generations of women and it so reminds me of the importance of being connected to family and the special touch of nurturing women in our communities. The original artwork, created by Paul Goodnight in 1986, is owned by the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Dignity Justified: Collections and Conversations on Juneteenth
According to the Juneteenth Proclamation issued by President Biden, “On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And we celebrate the centuries of struggles, courage, and hope that have bought us to this time of progress and possiblility.” It was an honor to celebrate our country’s first Juneteenth National Independence Day at the iconic International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, NC, which is the former F.W. Woolworth building, where North Carolina A&T students protested at the “whites only” lunch counter.
Dignity Justified was selected to moderate the Juneteenth 2021 event with the Center’s Principal Scholar, Professor Will Harris. The facilitation also provided an opportunity for Dignity Justified to use components of its collection (Civil War era Colored Troops Muster Roll, 1860’s newspaper illustrations depicting hopes for Emancipation and life before and after slavery, a newpaper printing of The Emancipation Proclamation, and a children’s Juneteenth book by poet-author Carole Boston Weatherford) to assist in understanding events leading to Juneteenth. The hybrid event included an in-house audience, live streaming, and the sharing of the content with several corporations. Thank you CEO John Swaine and Professor Harris for the opportunity.
Prior to exploring a business, I examined collections and spoke to collectors with extraordinary artifacts
Black Memorabilia
Attending my first Black Memorabilia show in Gaithersburg, Maryland, pictured with Jeanette Carson, co-founder of the first all-Black Memorabilia Collectible Show. Most collected black memorabilia items were produced from the 18th-20th centuries. According to Jeanette, Black Memorabilia is generalized as “anything made by, written by or about, or which depicts the image of Black people.”
Dignity Justified, specializes in understanding this genre of collecting—sometimes referred to as Black Americana, which unfortunately has an infiltration of reproduced negative images. Initially, many collectors sought “racist” images due to their rarity and as a way to visually link objects to the experiences of African Americans in this country.
Black Memorabilia includes beautifully rendered and encouraging items, and many collectors of Black memorabilia do not incorporate offensive pieces within their collections. Dignity Justified asserts the view that the purchasing of racist reproduced items, skews perceptions toward African Americans and helps to accelerate stereotypical points of view.
Fortunately, collectors are fantastic about discussing their collections with others. With the help of a collector in Massapequa, NY, I’ve been introduced to a network of collectors who are accessible and who graciously share stories of their passionate journey to promote legacy and knowledge about African American artifacts and memorabilia.
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