sojourner

Explore SOJO's Digital Collections with Ease

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:34:16 GMT

Embark on a journey of discovery through the rich tapestry of African heritage with SOJO's newly launched digital collections portal, managed and supported by our dedicated Archivist, Aisha Abdul Rahman.

With this innovative platform powered by Omeka, researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts can now access our digital archives from anywhere in the world.

Delve into the depths of African artistry, culture, and history as you navigate through our meticulously curated digital collections.

Whether you're seeking insights into traditional sculpture techniques, exploring the symbolism of African masks, or unraveling the narratives behind each artifact, our digital portal offers a treasure trove of resources at your fingertips.

Managed with care and expertise by Archivist Aisha Abdul Rahman, our digital collections portal ensures seamless navigation and efficient access to a wealth of cultural treasures.

Researchers can utilize advanced search functionalities to pinpoint specific artifacts, browse curated exhibitions, and dive deep into thematic collections curated by our expert team.

Have questions or need assistance? Archivist Aisha Abdul Rahman is here to support your research journey.

Users can easily reach out via the contact form integrated into the digital search interface, ensuring prompt assistance and personalized guidance.

Join us in unlocking the wonders of African heritage through our digital collections portal, where every click opens a door to new discoveries and insights.

Start your exploration today and embark on a virtual voyage through the diverse and captivating world of SOJO's digital archives.

Second Phase: New Expansion

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 21:50:45 GMT

Black Friday: 5th Annual Shop

This past weekend Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum partnered with Florin Square to be part of their Black Friday: 5th Annual Shop.

We celebrated our new museum expansion of African Americans in exploration, folklore, science, military, and sports. We also premiered our new galleries dedicated to our fallen sister Dana Maeshia and the godmother of art Dr. Samella Lewis. With guest speakers: Sharifa Walker, Miss Sherkiri, Felicia Armelin, Unity Lewis, and Shonna McDaniels and guest performer Sabrina Hocker.

Earlier this year our very good friend and supporter, Dana Maeshia, passed away from COVID which left many heartbroken. The Dana Maeshia Wall Library & Media Station was created as a way to help keep her memory alive and continue to pass along her message to the community. Dana was a big advocate of black literature, owning her own bookstore 'All Things Literacy: Books and More' located at Florin Square. One of her favorite sayings being "Let's Keep It Lit For Literacy".

We want to be able to give back to the community in honor of Dana, so with our wall library we have donated books people can come and read. Our media station offers donated computers and a printer which is available for free use. Also once a month we have a resource vendor who comes out to give away free books.

The Dr. Samella Lewis Gallery exhibition was graciously loaned to us by her grandson and curator Unity Lewis. The exhibition will go until the end of February however, the gallery will remain named after her permanently.

"Samella Lewis wrote two books in 1969 and 1971 with friend Ruth Waddy titled 'Black Artists on Art'. ‘Black Artists on Art’ is the first time you have black artists around the country getting together and talking about their art in their own words. It's the first compilation book of black art. They felt it was important to do that because the historians at the time weren't documenting black art and who better to talk about it than the artists themselves.

The intent behind the books was to give African Americans who weren't allowed in museums and certain places cheaper access to the art. You can pick up a book and it has a whole museum in it.

This show in particular consists of all the artists from the first two volumes of Black Artists on Art. Work from artists like Jacob Lawrence and Elizabeth Catlett who were already big names at the time that the book came out and contributed to the book to make it what it is, to make it popular, to give it the notoriety. Then you have artists who came out of that book and blew up after the book came out like Benny Andrews, and I would even say Ruth Waddy as well.

All these people contributed to the book in their own way."

-Unity Lewis

We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout celebrating such important figures in our lives personally and in the lives of African Americans. We want to thank each and every one that came out and for all of your amazing feedback.

Now we continue on, moving into phase 3!

How did people justify slavery?

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 21:11:47 GMT

SLAVERY WAS JUSTIFIED BY FALSE NOTIONS

What were these false notions? During the era of slavery in America, slave owners/supporters, )southerners especially), formed several unreasonable or flat out untrue justifications for it. Some argued that it was natural order taking its course, saying Africans were inferior beings. This made it acceptable to treat them as less than human, because they believed they were. Others claimed that slavery was good for the enslaved because it was better to be enslaved than free and dead of starvation, or because they were unable to make any decisions for themselves. There were, of course, “arguments” that weren’t arguments at all, like the fact that slavery was not only legal, but acceptable in the society they’d built and fought to keep.

There was, however, one justification that stands out, and that is that slavery was supported in the bible. A majority of white Americans, slaveholders and abolitionists alike, identified with Christianity, so using religion, something they agree on, to support their distorted view of slavery was likely the most effective approach. While the old testament was picked apart to demonstrate how common slavery was, most rebuttals from the bible were taken from the new testament, why? There are about 400 years between the end of the old testament the beginning of the new testament, and empires like Rome influenced common practices. For example, Caesar Augustus took part in normalizing worshiping emperors, like himself, as gods. Communication systems were also improved in those 400 years, making it easier to exchange ideas with other empires and taint the original interpretations of the bible. Essentially, there were more man made ideas and humanity influencing normalities in the new testament than in the old, so they were following the predispositions of man rather than the Christian God they claim to have followed. All in all, even when people used the bible to justify slavery, they were primarily using more of man’s ideas than their God’s.

Sources:

[KJV] The Holy Bible

“How Christian Slaveholders Used the Bible to Justify Slavery,” Noel Rae ( https://www.google.com/amp/s/time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/%3famp=true )
“The Greek and Roman Background of the New Testament,” H. Carey Oakley, M.A.
“The Southern Argument for Slavery,” ushistory.org ( https://www.ushistory.org/us/27f.asp )

Whipped Peter

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 21:06:28 GMT

Whipped Peter

“Whipped Peter” was the name bestowed upon the enslaved African named Gordon. Enslaved people weren’t rendered important enough to be given a last name, so his name was just Gordon, but even so he was called Peter because of the stubbornness of the slave owners to acknowledge the name given to him by his mother.
Gordon and three other enslaved Africans attempted an escape during the night. One was caught and killed by slave hunters in pursuit of the plantation they came from. The others used onions to rub them on their bodies and cover their scent from the bloodhounds who accompanied the slave hunters. They ran barefoot for miles, and after ten long days, they reached a Union encampment in Baton Rouge, where they promptly enlisted in the Union Army. Gordon received a medical examination, which is when the image above was taken.

His testimony described that during his enslavement on a Louisiana plantation ten days before, his overseer had whipped him. Believe it or not, this was an ordinary beating that was cruelly familiar to the other formerly enslaved refugees, but the white soldiers and medical examiners were horrified by the sight. The picture was mass produced and quickly spread across the nation. Though Gordon’s story was only one of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, its popularity is what brought to light to many white people how inhumane slavery was. Even so, there were those who still fully supported it.

These supporters of slavery could no longer claim that it wasn’t a cruel practice, so they used false notions to justify it. The victims of enslavement weren’t treated with the slightest bit of humanity, so what did the supporters of slaveery have to say about that? Well, they called them less than human, stupid and incapable of making their own decisions. It was the white man’s burden to “help” them, and their way of helping them was enslavement.

Redlining

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 05:46:34 GMT

Redlining

Redlining was a government supported practice starting in the 1930’s. It remains the leading cause of today’s housing segregation. Lenders (loaners, homeowners, etc) would outline areas that were off limits for issuing loans in red ink, (hence the title, “redlining.”) These highlighted areas were filled with mostly, if not only, African American residents, leaving qualifying credit holders with far less financial opportunities than their white counterparts. Redlining made it nearly impossible for African Americans to become homeowners and build wealth.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968, (also known as the ‘Fair Housing Project,’ or the ‘Civil Rights Act’), is a federal law that countermands discriminatory sales, rents, or financing of housing to anyone based on their skin color, race, nationality, or religion. While this marks progression from redlining, African Americans continue to suffer from the effects of it. For example, there is still very apparent racial segregation in neighborhoods, and corresponding disproportionate property values. These are impactful because while everyone else is investing, the black community is still trying to catch up on what they missed out on during the era of redlining.

Artist Highlight: Ongell

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 20:11:46 GMT

"My vulnerability to darkness and the things that I’ve experienced in my life within these last few years have allowed me to really blossom in a way that I didn’t think would happen for me."

On June 24, 2021 I had the pleasure of interviewing the artist Ongell and learned about her journey from a young artist to a grown woman and how her life experiences have shifted her artistic path

-Naya Douglas

How old were you when you got into art?

My oldest memories of art for sure were adolescence, I’d say maybe around 6 years old. Some of my oldest memories were I had gone to this Methodist church here in Sacramento and Sunday school was the best experience ever. There were so many things they had us doing as far as the arts and so that’s where I would say I fell in love with art. I also remember with coloring books I wasn’t coloring I was mostly tracing. I, along with my parents, realized then that I was a little more advanced with drawing than like the average 6 or 7 year old.

You mentioned that you got into art through church. Was there anything specific that drew you to art?

I think for me a main part of it was due to the way I grew up. My father is Nigerian and the culture is very strict and so with art I found myself able to express what I felt like I wanted to express at home. I was able to find freedom in art and express my emotions and kind of get away in a sense. Growing up in a Nigerian household there were a lot of things you couldn’t say and I think now seeing people grow up and some of the things they’re able to say at home or to their parents just blows me away because I wasn’t allowed to so being able to be creative really helped me emotionally.

Who would you say are some of your inspirations or favorite artists?

I don’t really think I have any favorite artists per say, it’s more of a love for art overall. I find something that I enjoy in every piece of art that I see whether it be a painting or poetry or a book someone wrote. I’m really blown away by writers and the way that they think. I think what inspires me is being able to get lost in other people’s art. When I look at another person’s art I’m not really drawn to who the person is but more so what’s on their mind. I look at things and I’m like “How in the heck did they do that?” or “How long did that take?” or “What were they feeling?” or “What led them to start this?” or “Where did they start?” or “How did they know when to end that piece of art?”

I think the only artist I was really inspired by was Picasso. I had learned that he made 250,000 art pieces in his lifetime. It's so inspiring to know that Picasso was able to live his entire life doing what he loved and that he made a lot of money at the same time.

How would you describe the type of art that you do?

I think my art...incorporates a number of different styles. There definitely is a sense of expressionism, which is sort of like a picture being distorted and it expresses the artist’s most innermost feelings. My work is not a picture being distorted but expressionism in the sense of expressing my innermost thoughts or ideas. Some of my art has a lot of hidden symbolism and abstract. I try to touch on a lot of different things.

Again my father was Nigerian so being an artist was not something that was accepted. It was more of you need to be a nurse, you need to be a teacher, etc. And it’s not that my father didn’t recognize that I was creative, it's just the culture. So not having access to the type of support that would’ve provided all of these tools, such as acrylics, it allowed me to create at the lowest means which was an advantage for me because once I got older and financially was able to afford all the tools I needed I found I was able to do a lot of different techniques. The inability to put my hands on tools at a younger age moved me naturally into a realm of different styles. And I don’t want to take credit and say “Oh, I’m just this talented at everything” it just happened to be and that was one of the things that led me to the artistic path I’m at now.

You’ve talked a lot about your life when you were a child. How have other experiences impacted the type of artistry that you do?

One thing about artists is that we’re highly sensitive people. Just about everyone I know that’s an artist is extremely sensitive. We're sensitive to other people's emotions which is a good thing. It’s able to come across in your paintings but there’s also a flipside to that. You are also very vulnerable to darkness and sorrow which sometimes goes unnoticed so it keeps an artist feeling very isolated or lonely. I know a lot of artists who talk about how they don’t feel like they fit in.

My vulnerability to darkness and the things that I’ve experienced in my life within these last few years have allowed me to really blossom in a way that I didn’t think would happen for me. I don’t want to say too much because I do have plans on writing a book. I’ve reached an area of my life where I’m really comfortable with being more transparent about my experiences. Right now some of the pain that I’ve experienced, some of the hurt, some of the joys, I’m able to bring across in my paintings.

How has your work evolved overtime?

I think just evolving from a girl to a young woman to a woman. I know back when I was younger it was more cartoon characters and you know just more meaningless, pointless sketches. For me, I was only really able to focus in school if I was sketching. Most of the time I was getting in trouble for that because most teachers are just arrogant to the mind of an artist. They didn’t understand that if I’m sketching I’m really listening. If I’m looking directly at you while you’re lecturing, I’m not listening to anything you’re saying. When I look back at all those little sketches to where I am now I really, really have evolved with the type of things that I draw. The depth, the time, the emotion that’s coming across and wanting for anybody to take something away from it instead of just having these pointless drawings that were just a release of creativity.

Speaking of taking something away from it. What is something you would want someone to take away after seeing a piece of your work?

That’s a good question. I think when we create, artists always have something in mind but I think what’s more important is what the person viewing that art thinks. What they take away from it matters more than what I was feeling at the time. Everyone looks at something and they take away something different. Everyone’s different. They see different, feel different from everything that you create. Overall I can only hope that no matter how deep or dark a painting may seem, no matter how colorful or vibrant and full of joy a painting may seem, people are just able to relate in some sense. I recently had a friend of mine recently give me some feedback on a piece of mine and what I heard from her let me know that I’m not as alone in my experiences as I thought. To sum it up, that's really what I could hope for is that people relate to what I’m painting whether it be something they’ve experienced or something they know of someone. That would make me happy.

During your speech at the grand opening you talked about a type of technique/style, I believe it was Japanese. How did you learn about this type of style and what drew you to use it for your own work?

I know what you’re talking about. It’s called Kintsugi. It’s a Japanese form of art where they take broken pottery and instead of discarding it they put it back together by mending it with silver or gold. These pieces turn out absolutely beautiful and to me they are even more beautiful than they were originally. Most people know, or at least I hope they know, that I am a sexual assault survivor and I had found the courage to go through recovery which is something I encourage. Separate from art, I truly encourage people who have experienced that to seek help and to take the first step to recovery because it does make a difference. During my recovery I had learned about Kintsugi and I was able to see myself in that form of art. I saw myself being that person or that piece of pottery that was shattered into so many different pieces and really those shattered pieces are what made me beautiful. It really touched me and stuck with me and inspired me to make the piece that’s located in the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum.

What would be a goal of yours when it comes to your work? I know you talked about how you’re at a place to write a book but what would you like to see as far as your artwork?

I would like to see myself evolve in an area of not feeling like I have to be so perfect. That’s hard for me. A piece of mine titled “Sister Secrets” (see image above) was a little challenging for me because the figures look real but then they’re animated as well so that was hard for me because I’m so used to making everything look so perfect. I think the more I grow within myself and I become more comfortable within myself it will become easier to not sort of obsess over the tiny details. With therapy I’m starting to really branch off into trying different things I’m not used to and just taking more risks and hopefully that will travel over to my art as well. I’m always inspired by artists who are able to take risks and for me that’s something I’m afraid of. I think for artists it really does relate to your own life and the things you’re able to do on canvas. I’m really looking forward to that within the next coming year and pieces I’m working on right now.

Do you hope to pass down your love for the arts down to your children?

I do. I spend a lot of time painting with my children and my son has even expressed to me that he’s interested in photography. With your children you just never know what they’ll be interested in and so I don’t want to steer them either way. If they don’t have a love for art I want them to have a respect for art more than anything. Respect the artist, respect for the time that goes into these pieces of art, and respect for the mindset of an artist. Right now my daughter is painting with me and so you just never know but I definitely do expose them to what I’m doing and give them opportunities and see if there’s any talent or interest there. If not then I want them to grow up with an open mind and have a respect for everything. Art, music, poetry, writing, dancing, all of it. It takes a creative mindset and it takes a different type of person to be able to reach other people through the arts.

Instagram: artistic__loner

https://www.bonfire.com/store/yah-bless-apparel/

Who is Nannie Helen?

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:43:50 GMT

Around 1880 Nannie Helen was born to a formerly enslaved couple living in Orange Virginia. When she was 4 years old her family moved to Washington DC, after her fathers death. She attended M street highschool in which she met some people who had a tremendous impact on her development. She was a good student and graduated with honors, but her race was the primary reason she was turned down for positions after graduating. She eventually found work in Pennsylvania at the Christian Banner, The National Baptist Conventions Paper. She was still turned down for positions as a teacher after receiving a high score from the city to be approved to teach. The rejection did not discourage her, instead she worked multiple jobs to support herself while still trying to pursue a career as a teacher. She gave a speech at the 1900 National Baptist Convention in Virginia, “How the Sisters Are Hindered from Helping.” This speech instantly gave her fame. The speech also led The National Baptist Convention to address the needs and concerns of its women, it also became a resource for educational training. This inspired her to accomplish her dream. She started her own school for women and girls called the Baptist Women’s Convention and National School for Women And girls. Overall she was a black educator, orator, religious leader, civil rights activist, feminist, and businesswoman in the United States.

Anna M. Mangin

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 02:56:37 GMT

Anna M. Mangin was an African American inventor.

Anna M. Mangin was an African American inventor. Little is known about her early childhood, but we do know that she was born in October 1854 in Louisiana. Anna Mangin invented the kitchen tool called the pastry fork and got it patented on March 1, 1892. The pastry fork was a tool that was in almost every domestic household. The utensil was used to mix dough for cookies, pie crusts, and other pastries without having to mix the ingredients together with their hands. The pastry fork was also used to beat eggs and mash potatoes. The pastry fork cut the time to make some of America’s favorite dishes, all thanks to the Black/Hebrew girl named Anna M. Margin.

Youth Roots Importance

Fri, 28 May 2021 15:58:41 GMT

It is important for our youth to know their history and roots.

Educating yourself about your history is not only important, it also helps you know your identity. The school districts in our communities do not teach students about black history, if black history is mentioned in schools they often talk about slavery, although that is apart of our history it is’nt the only part. We come from greatness. Our ancestors were doctors, inventors, activists, and much more. The first black doctor in the United States was James McCune Smith. He was born April 18th 1813, and died November 17th 1865. He was the first African American to hold a medical degree and graduated at the top of his class at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He has impacted a lot of people, the college he attended, recently named one of there buildings after him.

The black mind works in a lot of creative ways, African Americans are effortlessly talented. We have created multiple inventions, without our ancestors our life wouldn't be as easy as it is now. One of the great Black inventors was Garret Morgan, he invented the traffic light. Morgan also created a chemical hair- processing and straightening solution. His original intention was to create a liquid that prevented sewing machine needles from burning fabric. He accidentally discovered that the soultion can also be used for straightening hair. Lastly, he invented a smoke hood to protect firefighters from smoke. With that being said, know your history. There is so much to learn about black history. We have so much knowledge to offer here at the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum.

Artist Highlight- Izzy

Sun, 23 May 2021 22:42:38 GMT

"Art to me is a freedom of expression no matter who it is or how it's done"

On April 9, 2021 I interviewed local Sacramento artist Izzy about his artist journey

-Naya Douglas

How old were you when you first started having an interest in art?

I was 5-6 years old when I started to have an interest in art. I started sketching random stuff at that age for fun or for my family.

What made you want to get into art?

There was always art around me. My dad used to draw really cool pictures when I was a kid and my mom and sister also are creative with art so I saw the people around me able to do certain stuff that caught my interest.

Who are some of your favorite artists and inspirations?

Some of my older favorite artists are Pablo Picasso and Basquiat, but my favorite artists today are Blue the Great, Bankrupt, Sacramento’s own Brandon Alexander & of course Shonna McDaniels

What are some of your favorite pieces that you’ve done?

Some of my favorite pieces that I have done in the past are the multiple murals I have worked on with Shonna McDaniels, David Washington & many more of the art family that we have had help us along the way. They all have meant alot to me because they have made an impact on the community in different ways.

How has your work evolved or changed over time?

My artwork has grown as I have grown over time. I’ve learned to do much more as far as my skills and abilities are considered. I have learned to work with paint also the more that I have been creating, both acrylic and oil.

Do you remember the first ever piece you’ve done?

The very first art piece I did, I think I was 5 or 6 and I drew a picture of Doig Christie for my big sister China. I did it because he was her favorite basketball player at the time and even though I wasn’t very skilled at drawing at the time she loved it and I think it made me want to keep creating more.

What does art mean to you personally? What does your art mean to you? How do you feel it has changed your life?

Art to me is a freedom of expression no matter who it is or how it's done, there are no limits or boundaries in the world of art. I feel like art has definitely changed my life for the better since I was younger. I would participate in Art Competitions for the Boys and Girls Club downtown, and I would win things for my family. As I got older I strayed from the art world and in a way lost the focus, then when I began getting back to creating artwork my life started to become more positive simultaneously.

Tell us about your pieces you have located in the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum.

I have 5 pieces in the Museum currently, the first being a set of 4 paintings named “The Right Thing”. The set is based off of Spike Lee’s movie Do The Right Thing. I have three seperate pieces that I collaborated with David Washington; Henry in the Box, Sarah Baartman, and Henrietta Lacks. All three of these pieces were created to bring education of our history to the attention of our people. The last piece I made was the ‘BLM Then & Now’ Banner. I made this to show that the Black Lives Matter movement is an extension of the Civil Rights movement, and that this has been a long as well as important process.

Instagram: izzysartpage

Artist Highlight with @TheBagLady41

Thu, 13 May 2021 00:47:45 GMT

"I wanted to create something that looked like me. Something that I couldn't find anywhere else."

On March 12, 2021 I interviewed artist & CEO The Bag Lady 41 about her one woman show and her journey throughout the years of starting her own business

-Naya Douglas

Who is the Bag Lady 41?

That’s a good question. I would have to say the Bag Lady 41 is someone who loves creating different things. That’s what got me started making bags. I like bags but I couldn’t find anything that was different. Everything looked the same, I call it cookie cutter. So I decided to create my own bags in my own vision of what I liked and by doing that I created the Bag Lady 41.

I do custom bags. One of a kind which gives someone the inclusivity of a one of a kind item, which is what I like. I never create the same bag twice. We are all one of a kind and I want everyone to experience that.

“Embrace your individuality. Embrace who you are. Embrace your difference. We’re all different and we should embrace that. We don’t all want to be the same.”

What made you start sewing? How old were you?

I started sewing, sewing at probably 17 or 18 with a sewing machine. But I would always sew by hand ever since I was a kid. I got my love of sewing from my mother. She could basically look at anything and make it. I’m talking clothes to furniture to anything. She could just look at it, vision it, and recreate it in her own vision.

“It goes back to my heritage. Seeing someone who looks black, African American, someone with kinky curly coils, someone with darker skin.”

What have you learned from starting your own business?

I have learned that it’s a lot of hard work, especially with me because I am a perfectionist. I spent a lot of time creating and thinking about the things I’m going to make even before I start on them. I give a lot of thought to what exactly it is I want to make and a lot of times I have no idea. I’ll just start something and take it from there and I tend to start over a lot because it’s not to the standard that I hold it to. It’s also hard work because I do everything. And when I say everything I mean from the drafting of what I want to make, from creating it in my mind, putting it down on paper, selecting the materials I’m going to use, sewing it together, cutting my own wood for my ottomans, nailing and putting together the base, I try to market it, I do every single thing for it.

“Someone might see it and think that’s it gorgeous or it’s beautiful but I can see every flaw in it which can sometimes be a good thing. Flaws and imperfections make it beautiful, that’s sometimes the best part about it.”

What is your thought process when making a new project?

I go with my gut. I go with my feelings about it. I have to feel it, I have to see it, to touch it in order to create something. For instance when I’m looking for fabric, I never go looking with the intention of finding a specific thing. It has to appeal to me. It has to talk to me. I’m going off of my instincts with it.

What is your overall goal of where you want to take your business?

My overall goal is I definitely want to be able to market the things I sell but I want it to be where I am still able to be the one to create things. I don’t want to pass it on to anyone. I want to still be able to be hands on. Sometimes that’s a good and bad thing because it takes a lot of time and effort to make the things I make.

You’ve been to multiple pop up events, what would wou say would have to be your best experience?

My best experience would probably have to be when I was in New Orleans for the Essence festival. It gave me a really huge market to be able to showcase my products, my talents, my abilities. It also gave me the opportunity to see other creative people, not just ones who create the same things that I do. It was just an array of different people who looked like me who had a ton of different products and it was really good to be able to communicate with them.

“I’m not a one stop shop. I have so many ideas in my head that it’s probably going to take me an eternity to get them all out. I love to create. I have many talents and there’s a lot of things that I love to make and I want to be able to share it with everyone.”

Instagram: thebaglady41

Facebook: thebaglady41

Twitter: thebaglady41bag

https://www.thebaglady41.net

sojourner

Explore SOJO's Digital Collections with Ease

Embark on a journey of discovery through the rich tapestry of African heritage with SOJO's newly launched digital collections portal, managed and supported by our dedicated Archivist, Aisha Abdul Rahman.

Second Phase: New Expansion

Black Friday: 5th Annual Shop

How did people justify slavery?

SLAVERY WAS JUSTIFIED BY FALSE NOTIONS

Whipped Peter

Whipped Peter

Redlining

Redlining

Artist Highlight: Ongell

"My vulnerability to darkness and the things that I’ve experienced in my life within these last few years have allowed me to really blossom in a way that I didn’t think would happen for me."

Who is Nannie Helen?

Anna M. Mangin

Anna M. Mangin was an African American inventor.

Youth Roots Importance

It is important for our youth to know their history and roots.

Artist Highlight- Izzy

"Art to me is a freedom of expression no matter who it is or how it's done"

Artist Highlight with @TheBagLady41

"I wanted to create something that looked like me. Something that I couldn't find anywhere else." ﻿

"I wanted to create something that looked like me. Something that I couldn't find anywhere else."