Post by Okwes on Jan 29, 2008 17:47:05 GMT -5
Praise for The Red-Black Connection
Culminating from over a decade of research, personal interviews and
photographic essays, the newly released book The Red-Black
Connection, Contemporary Urban African-Native Americans and Their
Stories of Dual Identity by Valena Broussard Dismukes deserves high
praise.
Fifty two images, and narratives written by the subjects of these
photos, fill the pages with personal and powerful insights into the
world of today's urban African-Native Americans. Their stories
reveal the trials, tribulations and triumphs of their dual and
sometimes multi-ethnic identities.
People from all walks of life, and representing tribes throughout
the United States, share personal and sometimes painful stories.
They remind us of the part of America's history that is often
overlooked, misrepresented, and continues to be a source of
challenge for contemporary people of African and Native American
heritage.
Dismukes captures the essence of her subjects in images that are
much more than portraits. They are windows into the lives and souls
of human beings. They are both visually striking, and infinitely
personal.
Equally striking for the reader is the challenges many of these
people have faced in discovering their heritage. For some, their
Native American ancestors were still alive and a part of their
collective experience, but not all of them chose to reveal their
cultural identity. We are reminded that being Indian (or Black) was
a distinct disadvantage in mainstream society – and still can be.
Many stories tell of familial efforts to erase the memory of both
red and black heritage in order to assimilate into the dominant
society. Others embrace both backgrounds with pride and dignity.
These are stories told from the inside. They do not hide the fact
that there is division, strife and racial prejudice between the
races, as well as kinship. The Native American community is often
divided from within, with full-bloods mistrusting half breeds and
people of red-black heritage. The recent removal of the Freedmen
from Cherokee tribal rolls is but one example of this.
What we learn from The Red-Black Connection is how and why this
division takes place. We are given an understanding of the external
forces that have pitted people against each other for centuries; an
understanding that cannot be gleaned from history texts.
The Red-Black Connection also reveals the personal triumphs of those
who have embraced their dual heritage, and have chosen to thrive.
They have made their identity an opportunity to educate and motivate
others, and to heal the past by embracing the present and
contributing to the future. They are educators, healers, leaders,
activists, and ordinary people, offering an extraordinary gift to
anyone willing to accept it.
Among the pages of this book you will find descendants of Quanah
Parker, Daniel Perry, and William August Bowlegs. You will also
find narratives by people who have yet to discover the names of
their ancestors. There are those who have been told they look too
white to be black, too black to be Indian, and too Indian to be
African. What one cannot escape is the knowledge that, in the words
of Jack Forbes, Professor at UC Davis, "You can't tell who people
are by merely looking at them."
In addition to award-winning photographs and moving narratives,
Dismukes includes her own perspective on the issue of dual identity,
and the responsibility and opportunity it presents to contemporary
red-black people. The book also contains an honest overview of the
history of Africans and Native Americans, an extensive list of
additional resources, a selected list of famous red-black people,
and one remarkable page of quotes.
This is not a book about Africans and Native Americans. It is a
book by them. It is a work which anyone of multi-ethnicity can
immediately identify with. The Red-Black Connection joins powerful
images and remarkable stories to create a work that is inspiring,
illuminating, and important.
(Author, photographer and educator Valena Broussard Dismukes knows
the meaning of multi-ethnic identity. African, Choctaw, Scottish,
Irish and French, Dismukes brought an understanding of and
sensitivity for cultural diversity to her career with the Los
Angeles Unified School District. In her new book, she brings forth
this gift with masterful imagery and compelling honesty.)
Jan. 6-March 30, 2008
Red-Black Connection at Satwiwa Indian Cultural Center
A show of photographic art by Valena Broussard Dismukes
For information on the book go to dismukes.myexpose.com/
For information on Satwiwa go to www.satwiwa.org
Corina Roberts, Founder
Redbird
P.O. Box 702
Simi Valley, CA 93062
(805) 217-0364
www.RedbirdsVision.org
Culminating from over a decade of research, personal interviews and
photographic essays, the newly released book The Red-Black
Connection, Contemporary Urban African-Native Americans and Their
Stories of Dual Identity by Valena Broussard Dismukes deserves high
praise.
Fifty two images, and narratives written by the subjects of these
photos, fill the pages with personal and powerful insights into the
world of today's urban African-Native Americans. Their stories
reveal the trials, tribulations and triumphs of their dual and
sometimes multi-ethnic identities.
People from all walks of life, and representing tribes throughout
the United States, share personal and sometimes painful stories.
They remind us of the part of America's history that is often
overlooked, misrepresented, and continues to be a source of
challenge for contemporary people of African and Native American
heritage.
Dismukes captures the essence of her subjects in images that are
much more than portraits. They are windows into the lives and souls
of human beings. They are both visually striking, and infinitely
personal.
Equally striking for the reader is the challenges many of these
people have faced in discovering their heritage. For some, their
Native American ancestors were still alive and a part of their
collective experience, but not all of them chose to reveal their
cultural identity. We are reminded that being Indian (or Black) was
a distinct disadvantage in mainstream society – and still can be.
Many stories tell of familial efforts to erase the memory of both
red and black heritage in order to assimilate into the dominant
society. Others embrace both backgrounds with pride and dignity.
These are stories told from the inside. They do not hide the fact
that there is division, strife and racial prejudice between the
races, as well as kinship. The Native American community is often
divided from within, with full-bloods mistrusting half breeds and
people of red-black heritage. The recent removal of the Freedmen
from Cherokee tribal rolls is but one example of this.
What we learn from The Red-Black Connection is how and why this
division takes place. We are given an understanding of the external
forces that have pitted people against each other for centuries; an
understanding that cannot be gleaned from history texts.
The Red-Black Connection also reveals the personal triumphs of those
who have embraced their dual heritage, and have chosen to thrive.
They have made their identity an opportunity to educate and motivate
others, and to heal the past by embracing the present and
contributing to the future. They are educators, healers, leaders,
activists, and ordinary people, offering an extraordinary gift to
anyone willing to accept it.
Among the pages of this book you will find descendants of Quanah
Parker, Daniel Perry, and William August Bowlegs. You will also
find narratives by people who have yet to discover the names of
their ancestors. There are those who have been told they look too
white to be black, too black to be Indian, and too Indian to be
African. What one cannot escape is the knowledge that, in the words
of Jack Forbes, Professor at UC Davis, "You can't tell who people
are by merely looking at them."
In addition to award-winning photographs and moving narratives,
Dismukes includes her own perspective on the issue of dual identity,
and the responsibility and opportunity it presents to contemporary
red-black people. The book also contains an honest overview of the
history of Africans and Native Americans, an extensive list of
additional resources, a selected list of famous red-black people,
and one remarkable page of quotes.
This is not a book about Africans and Native Americans. It is a
book by them. It is a work which anyone of multi-ethnicity can
immediately identify with. The Red-Black Connection joins powerful
images and remarkable stories to create a work that is inspiring,
illuminating, and important.
(Author, photographer and educator Valena Broussard Dismukes knows
the meaning of multi-ethnic identity. African, Choctaw, Scottish,
Irish and French, Dismukes brought an understanding of and
sensitivity for cultural diversity to her career with the Los
Angeles Unified School District. In her new book, she brings forth
this gift with masterful imagery and compelling honesty.)
Jan. 6-March 30, 2008
Red-Black Connection at Satwiwa Indian Cultural Center
A show of photographic art by Valena Broussard Dismukes
For information on the book go to dismukes.myexpose.com/
For information on Satwiwa go to www.satwiwa.org
Corina Roberts, Founder
Redbird
P.O. Box 702
Simi Valley, CA 93062
(805) 217-0364
www.RedbirdsVision.org
