We had to navigate our way around, we had to prove ourself. There is less of that now, you can be here in Zambia and you have a thousand followers on one of your social networking sites who are interested in what you do. But yeah, I think it’s about having the interest in something and following it through, It is…..I hate to use the word…… passion.
Race, gender and art have been complex topics to pursue but artists like Walker find this a vital opportunity to express their message, celebrate black masculinity and protest the lack of “accurate representation of black males in media…”
This is the third article in a series of articles on the friendship between two African American artists, a “friendship beyond understanding”. In every article The Harlem Renaissance is the context of the story.
‘From the Vault’ entailed that we had to go into the storage spaces of both Fort Hare and Stellenbosch Universities to unearth these collections which have accumulated so much history as an attempt to bring them into the light. We were not so much interested in the grand narrative nor the well-known artists, but we aimed to reveal histories that have been silenced or hidden by remaining in the vault. We also aimed to identify gaps in these histories. We are also aware that in exposing the silenced, we were silencing others too.
Activism is made to resist, to build and to share awareness and knowledge. Activism is made to implement changes in the collectives and in the society. Take a look at Steve Biko or Winnie and Nelson Mandela, take a look at Fela Kuti, take a look at Martin Luther King or Muhammad Ali, take a look at Franz Fanon or Sarojini Naidu (the only lady standing ahead the Salt March with Gandhi in 1930).