Weeksville is one of America's first free, self-sufficient Black communities in what is now Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I recently attended the Weeksville Heritage Center's Fashioning the Women of Weeksville exhibition. Costume Historian/Curator, Natalya Mills-Mayrena and Costume Designer/Curator, Noel Corbin presented a glimpse into the clothing and accessories from the 1800's from community members like Harriet Etta Lane who was born and raised there. The exhibit was supported by photos from the era as well as a video installation with a short film that seems to be inspired by the work of Carrie Mae Weems.
As a creative, a Brooklynite, a supporter of artists and lover of history, these are a few things from the exhibit that resonated with me:
Create Community
The Weeksville Heritage Center exists because people united to preserve its history. The Fashioning the Women of Weeksville exhibition succeeds because a group of creatives and historians collaborated to share the stories of women who loved, married, entertained, taught and nurtured a community under challenging circumstances. Community, especially for creatives, strengthens us as individuals and makes us all responsible for something greater than ourselves.
Remember, Honor, Share
Honor those before us for their tenacity, ingenuity and creativity. SHARE THEIR STORIES. Their lives have lead us all to where we are today. We have an obligation to keep that beauty alive. Just like the dresses were reimagined for the exhibit, we must know our origins in order to create and envision our new creative worlds. The stories only live when we document and pass on these stories.
Support Women & POC Creatives
In In Search of Our Mother's Gardens, Alice Walker recalls generations of women creatives who may have felt unfulfilled due to the fact that they were women particularly women of color, who were prohibited from self-expression. These women, through the burning need to create, may express their creativity through other means and in this instance, I would say through fashion. Clearly influenced by European fashions of the time, the women of Weeksville had purses with seed beaded accents reminiscent of beading from many African cultures. The many untold stories that Black women hold; perspectives that have never been shared. The secret tales shared through hairstyles or accessories. Women, particularly women of color, are marginalized and yet plagiarized. By supporting each other, we take back our power and empower each other. Not just monetarily, but for our survival and for our sanity.
