Hello, everyone. As we move into July, I’m thrilled to announce that Phase Two of the Labor Pains project is officially underway. This is the part I’ve been eagerly anticipating: the deep-dive, on-site research that will build the historical and narrative spine of the work.
My initial plan was ambitious, mapping out a tour of New York’s most vital historical institutions. But as is often the case with creative projects, the path has revealed a slightly different, and perhaps more fitting, starting point. I’m beginning my journey back at my alma mater, the University at Albany. There’s a certain magic in returning to a place that shaped you, and now that I’m here, I want to share a bit about my research approach.
For me, the process usually starts with a question that surfaces while reading a secondary source. For instance, while reading A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross, I began asking questions about collective trauma and the economic contributions of Black women. This initial curiosity becomes the first thread to pull, leading me from one cited source to the next until a flurry of questions coalesces into one or two focal points. This is when I write my literature review. While not strictly necessary for a creative project, the act of codifying my research validates the entire process. It is the practice that makes this a truly research-based creative endeavor.
But following the trail of secondary sources inevitably leads to the heart of the work: moving on to the primary sources. My research plan now involves looking through newspapers, sales receipts, diaries, slave narratives, Freedmen’s Bureau records, and notes from social clubs and churches. I will be digging through these and other similar documents to find the hidden stories—the ones purposely suppressed by history. My work is to listen for what is loud and for the silences in between, searching for the textures of truth.
The goal is to authentically reflect the Black women’s American experience over 250 years, translating these archival findings into body maps, folklore, spirituals, and spoken word poetry.
This project requires a level of care and intentionality that both excites and terrifies me. It is a profound responsibility to engage with these stories with the respect and honesty they have long been denied.
Because if I don’t do it, I’m afraid of who will.
What a time to be researching the usefulness and applications of the arts. The daily connections between current events and this historical work are no longer astounding; instead, they speak to a profound alignment. It’s a constant confirmation that the work is necessary and timely. As Victor Hugo once wrote, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”
Thank you for following along on this journey. Stay tuned for a more formal Week 20 update this Friday.
Leave a comment