Courage: Derrick Bell, 2014
Wool, cotton, rayon and thread. 32" x 24"
I remind myself: Focus on light and shadow. Lines of laughter and of loss. Every experience collaged onto our being. Past, but still present, unfinished, but refined, ordered but not, complex but clear, a whole in many shades of blue.
I remind myself: Focus on justice. A face emerges from the unrecognizable—the work of a lifetime continues on for all of us who aspire to practice, to live justice. I hear stories about Derrick Bell—his memory determined to continue the struggle; his favorite sayings, his work, the principles by which he led his life.
Professor Bell stood up. . . . literally stood up and left. . . the security of Harvard Law to protest injustice.
I remember: On the windowsill, overlooking the Hudson, a photograph of Malcolm X caught my eye and my thoughts. My mind wandering. . . .even the art we choose to display is marred by racial division. But why surprise? Who we choose to remember, how we remember them, who we want our children to ask us about, who we live with—and, of course, portraits, are like family members. . . .
I remember: What to say, what to write? A blank card carried around for months sadly remains blank. What could I possibly say to Janet to offer comfort?
Now: Paths cross again. And then, the collage began to unfold. Professor Bell’s spirit of courage reminds us to take risks for what we know is just.