A Short History of Black Craft in 10 Objects by Robell Awake
'A Short History of Black Craft in 10 Objects' by Robell Awake
Robell Awake opens A Short History with the assertion by African American historian James E. Newton that in 1865, Black skilled artisans outnumbered white artisans five to one in the South. Whether entirely verifiable or not, the statistic speaks to a fact: Black crafts people helped build and create under harsh conditions, often carrying on traditions passed down from West Africa.
Among those 10 Objects, the most famous are the Gee’s Bend Quilts whose “abstract visual language” predated William de Kooning and company. Of special interest is the signed work occasionally found on jugs and cabinetry, evidence of literacy at a time when teaching Blacks to read was illegal in many states. Black Craft in 10 Objects also sheds light on industrial slavery. The pottery factories and cabinetry shops of South Carolina were worked by the enslaved. The author finds fascinating examples in case for the overlooked Black cultural contributions to the U.S.
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