“Eve Was From Africa” serves as a counter narrative to an extreme racist discourse aiming to whitewash the ethnicity and cultural diversity of iconic legendary figures. Jesus was a Galilean Jew –defined by contemporary land boundaries, he would be described as Middle Eastern. Saint Nicolas, the man who inspired the Santa Claus myth, was a 4th Century Greek Bishop of Myra (which is part of modern day Turkey). Geneticists have determined that all living modern humans can be traced back to two people who lived between 100,000 – 200,000 years ago on the continent of Africa. Our original mother, referred to as “Mitochondrial Eve,” was what we would today describe as a woman of color. While evidence demonstrates all of these people had dark skin, these figures are currently portrayed in the mainstream culture as light skinned, thus promoting white supremacy. This demonstrates purposeful and institutional racism within the religious and secular realms of our society. Such choices display a purposeful ignorance of the reality that all humans belong to one singular human race, as well as a diminishment of the important diverse cultural heritage of the myths and legends we find solace in. In this piece flora and fauna surround “Eve” as she sews the fabric of a quilt meant to represent the beautiful diversity of our cultural ancestry.
Created in January 2014. Collage #314. Collage of linoleum block prints, woodblock prints, spray paint, coffee and ink staining, and handwritten history notes from my 103 year old cousin Fannie Simonowsky. 22.5” x 30.”