Spirit of the Lowcountry Collection

I woke up this morning at 3:00 A.M. thinking about the horrific event that took place in Charleston, South Carolina last week.

I then began to think of the two paintings I was inspired to paint before this horrible act. One I  entitled 'Freedom Dance' celebrating Juneteenth 150 years of freedom, which I exhibited in Historic Mitchelville, the birthplace of African American Freedom. The second piece I entitled 'Me and My Chillun'. I realized that if I connected the two paintings together the trees almost perfectly became one. Both paintings depict trees grown from  the roots of freedom. 

Reading the history of Emanuel AME known as 'Mother Emanuel' the meaning of my painting 'Me and My Chillun'' became clear. Mother Emanuel was formed by both free and enslaved blacks. The church was burned to the ground in 1822  after the arrest of Denmark Vesey's planning of a slave revolt.  in 1834 its doors were closed due to a law prohibiting African Americans from worshipping without white overseers and consequently had to worship in secret throughout the Civil War. The church building was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1886 and had to be rebuilt in its current form in 1891. 

 'Mother Emanuel' understands the meaning of freedom and is a beacon of light for Freedom. In the 20th century her light shined brightly to help guide those fighting for the rights of freedom  such as Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Corretta Scott King and Senator Clementa Pinckney. 

Sadly, in 2015 nine of her members were massacred merely because of the color of their skin after opening up her arms and welcoming into her bossom the very man that would take the  lives of her children.

So after celebrating 150 years of freedom during Juneteenth in the 'Birthplace of African American Freedom', Mitchelville in Hilton Head, SC and living to see the sad and tragic day when nine African Americans where massacred in church at bible study in Charleston, SC,  I've renamed my painting,' Me and My Chillun' to 'Mother Emanuel'.  Much like this historical African American Church and what it stands for, the mother in this painting dressed in bright yellow is a beacon of light, strength and love. She will continue to stand tall and abide in God and He in her as she longs to preserve and protect the lives and freedom of her children for generations to come.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. -John 8:36


I wonder do we really understand the true meaning of Freedom...