Welcome back! (New work, New jewels)
Ending my hiatus and bringing back the blog! I recently returned from a trip to Philly and NY and am filled with new inspiration for a new jewelry line and revisiting some of my older painting series. For now though, please enjoy some of my most recent works.
Black History Month: Heroes and Icons on earrings – Week 3
I’m back again for another week’s worth of earrings for the celebration of heroes and icons for Black History Month! With each entry you can click on the highlighted text to purchase them.
I am donating a portion of the proceeds at the end of the month to Bennett College, an all women’s HBCU in South Carolina. I am also going to try to set aside a little for The University of the Virgin Islands as they recently announced they would the first HBCU to offer free tuition!
Feb 15th – The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. They were trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, hence the name. Their impressive performance in World War II earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces. They were called Red Tails or Red Tail Angels because of the red tails the P-51 Mustangs they flew in had.
Feb 16th – Booker T. and W.E.B.
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois
By Dudley Randall
“It seems to me,” said Booker T.,
“It shows a mighty lot of cheek
To study chemistry and Greek
When Mister Charlie needs a hand
To hoe the cotton on his land,
And when Miss Ann looks for a cook,
Why stick your nose inside a book?”
“I don’t agree,” said W.E.B.
“If I should have the drive to seek
Knowledge of chemistry or Greek,
I’ll do it. Charles and Miss can look
Another place for hand or cook,
Some men rejoice in skill of hand,
And some in cultivating land,
But there are others who maintain
The right to cultivate the brain.”
“It seems to me,” said Booker T.,
“That all you folks have missed the boat
Who shout about the right to vote,
And spend vain days and sleepless nights
In uproar over civil rights.
Just keep your mouths shut, do not grouse,
But work, and save, and buy a house.”
“I don’t agree,” said W.E.B.
“For what can property avail
If dignity and justice fail?
Unless you help to make the laws,
They’ll steal your house with trumped-up clause.
A rope’s as tight, a fire as hot,
No matter how much cash you’ve got.
Speak soft, and try your little plan,
But as for me, I’ll be a man.”
“It seems to me,” said Booker T.–
“I don’t agree,”
Said W.E.B.
Feb 17th – While a professor at Tuskegee Institute, George Washington Carver developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated plantings of cotton. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, as a source of their own food and to improve their quality of life. Apart from his work to improve the lives of farmers, Carver was also a leader in environmentalism. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed Carver a “Black Leonardo”.
Feb 18th – I made these on President’s Day as perhaps a little bit of wishful thinking for the future. KAMALA HARRIS
Feb 19th – US Women’s Olympic Track & Field athletes – Alice Coachman was a high jump specializing athlete who, in 1948 at the London games became the first black woman to win an Olympic medal). Flo Jo or Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner was considered the fastest woman of all time and has 3 Gold and 2 Silver Olympic medals. Wilma Rudolph was a sprinter and was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 60s. She was the first woman to win 3 gold medals in a single Olympics games. Lastly, the 2016 USA Women’s relay team of Felix, Garder, Bowie, and Bartoletta took gold in Brazil. They all appear on these double sided earrings.
Feb 20th – the LegendaryJimi Hendrix! I really really love the textured blue violet color on these babies.
Feb 21st – Beyoncé and JayZ in The Louvre based on their now iconic Apes**t video.
See you next week for the final 7 entries and a surprise!
Top 7, my favorite Portland, Oregon Area waterfalls
#1 FALLS CREEK – I genuinely have a wildly different experience each time I visit.
#2 SPIRIT – This hike can be a bit of a chore and the last time I visited I was stung by 5 yellow jackets. I thought of dropping her down the list, but her beauty wouldn’t be denied.
This place is incredibly magical all year, long, but late fall is my absolute favorite
#3 ABIQUA – Two separate hikes are here that lead to the top and bottom of this beauty. Also a bit of a labour in the descent to both spaces, but the views are well worth it.
#4 TAMANAWAS – The thunderous melody made by this sexy waterfall actually makes me sway when I hear it.
#5 WEISENDANGER (currently closed)
This waterfall was a casualty in the recent Eagle Creek fire. The falls are on the Multnomah Loop along with several others. No word on when the trail will reopen, but I am certain her beauty will endure.
#6 PANTHER CREEK – The hike here is quite simple to the first viewpoint, but you can have 3 very different experiences here if you put in a little work.
I am Always, Always filled with energy at this space.
#7 WAHCLELLA (closed) – Wahclella was my introduction to the hiking world in Oregon. For that reason, and for the power behind this gem – keep it on the list. SADLY, her trail is also closed now, another casualty of the Eagle Creek Fire.
zacharypryor 