BLACKTIVISTS

2022–ongoing
Hand-printed silkscreen prints on black Legion Stonehenge paper, black ink, extra fine black glitter
22 x 30” each (set of 12)

The BLACKTIVISTS series consists of twelve silkscreened portraits that depict thirteen relatively unknown and overlooked Black women activists. Veronica Jackson created the hybrid term “blacktivists” by combining the words black and activists. “Activist” is defined as an energetic and vigorous advocate of a cause, especially a political one.

Most of these women were born during the time of enslavement in the United States, and some were enslaved at birth. Yet despite or because of their social circumstances, they championed human rights for African Americans and women at a time when their own racialized and gendered existence remained in jeopardy.

In this artwork, the technique of silk-screening black ink on black paper symbolizes the invisibility, devaluation, and barely acknowledged essence of Black women’s stories. Incorporating a layer of extra-fine black glitter adds reflectivity and sparkle to the images. Literally this method brings attention to the likeness depicted in each woman’s portrait. Conceptually it highlights their previously unknown, ignored, yet important contributions to American history.