Mature Black Woman Seeks…

2020
Hand-printed letterpress broadsides on black paper, black ink, red ink, and silver ink. 11x15” each (set of three)

The Mature Black Woman Seeks… series takes its cues from Abolitionist handbills—broadsides that warned the enslaved of inherent dangers lurking in the landscape while seeking freedom—and the “Personals”—a former constant in major newspapers and still found in some small-town publications. This particular set of advertisements broadcasts a mature Black woman’s search for assistance as she combats invisibility, illegibility, vulnerability, and devaluation resulting from her racialized and gendered experiences in America. These ads educate the public with unapologetic candor about one Black woman’s plight in navigating a prejudiced society. Additionally, each message invites the reader to engage with the project by texting a reply to the number provided.

This body of work was produced at the Virginia Center for the Book, Charlottesville, a division of the Virginia Humanities. It is in the permanent collection of the Voice-Overs project—a call sent to writers and artists for print work responding to sexism, racism, and biases as seen and felt in the American cultural landscape.