Digging Deeper Alternative Journalism Fall 2020: Black Anger: The Progressive Power of Rage

Brittney Cooper put it best: eloquent rage. In her book Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower, Cooper explores her journey towards finding the power in being a loud, angry, Black feminist. While she uses words to reform the idea of Black anger, Dr. Stella Jones, a pharmacist turned OB/GYN turned avid art lover and collector, aims to use one of her most prized accomplishments, the Stella Jones Gallery in downtown New Orleans, to educate and inspire. Dr. Jones’s curation of Black-created artwork brings Black anger to the forefront and testifies against the so-called ‘fair and just’ narrative America claims to be defined by.

Her most recent exhibition, Charly Palmer’s “Just Above My Head”, is a collection about what it means to be Black; the complex history and collective struggle for justice. Palmer says, “I seek to paint the way James Baldwin makes me feel: Proud, black, beautiful, and empowered.” In a specific piece titled Bantu Thoughts, magazine cutouts of empowering words are placed as protrusions out of the head of a Black woman. While the dull-colored phrase “this school is closed by order of the federal government” is the most central protrusion, brightly colored positive words such as ‘confidence’, ‘inspiration’, and ‘beauty’ are overwhelmingly more present, depicting the thoughts and audacious nature of Black culture and the determination to be recognized as a strong force rather than a culmination of unjust history. These words and phrases project from her Bantu knots, paying homage to the history and force of the Bantu knot hairstyle, one created and popularized by Black women. Her strong stature, powerfully focused stare and deep brown skin juxtapose the bright abstract shapes comprising the background. Palmer manifests the anger surrounding the judgement and fetishism of Black women in an artistic work of fortitude; an eloquent personification of Black rage.

In 1996, Dr. Stella Jones opened the Stella Jones Gallery in the Central Business District of New Orleans. As a trailblazing Black woman, Jones raised four children while fighting the hardships of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina and simultaneously set an example of strength and perseverance after the loss of her husband, who was a vital part of the dream and creation of the gallery. Despite these hardships and in part because of them, Jones boasts two impressive careers as a former OB/GYN and a current gallery owner. In an interview with Culture Type, Jones discusses her journey to becoming a gallery owner, “…when I came to New Orleans, I came here and didn’t have any family, any friends, anybody… I left two little girls behind with my mom and husband…” She describes how her children were the only Black kids in their class, leading her to strive to foster an environment where they would feel recognized by hanging up Black art all around her home. This has continued to be Dr. Jones’s intentions, just on a larger scale; for the people of New Orleans. Making her name a strong Black presence throughout the city, Jones emphasizes her inspiration to be Black women such as Barbara Chase Riboud and Lois Jones because of the lack of Black female recognition in the art industry. Dr. Jones is a testament to the grit of Black women and to the importance of perseverance through the social and political opposing forces against African-American women. Using her platform, the Stella Jones Gallery brings rightful respect to the art of Black women.

The Stella Jones Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Delita Martin, another strong Black woman with a passion for art and a will to be heard, created an exhibition that was featured in the Stella Jones Gallery in the Spring of 2019. The exhibition, called “Shadows in the Garden”, focused on the marginalization of Black women and the idea of rebuilding the image of Black women. In a piece titled Wildflowers, the striking glare of a powerful, strong-statured Black woman is blended amidst a floral background of bright greens, blues, oranges and reds. These colors undermine the problematic representations of Black women. By mixing a bright, floral pattern with the strong stare and striking stance, Martin uses art as a medium to guide the necessary shift of perspective in turning Black anger from problematic to mighty; a redefinition from threatening fury to elegant rage through associating bright colors with dark emotions. Martin is a storyteller, offering a lens that enables us to challenge comfort and look into the lives of angry Black women. In an interview with Dr. Jones, Martin says, “One of the most political subjects to date is the Black female body. When you, as a Black Woman can take ownership of your body image, present a narrative that you know to be true and present it to the world, it can be very powerful and impactful.”

Delita Martin speaking at the Norman Art Gallery Opening at Arkansas Tech University.

As a city that is made up of over 50% African Americans, Black rage through art is eminent. The Black artists featured in the Stella Jones Gallery embody Brittney Cooper’s idea of eloquent rage through manifesting the culmination of centuries of injustice into graceful brushstrokes and abstract depictions of awe-inspiring Black power. Dr. Jones’s curation of Black-created artwork brings Black anger to the forefront and testifies against the so-called ‘fair and just’ narrative America claims to be defined by. No matter the medium, protest, writing or voice, Black anger is often perceived as annoying static and a threat to the traditional fabric of America. What is so often looked over is the positive, progressive force that comes with the words of angry Black people, specifically Black women. The pain experienced by Black women is more than justification for their dissent, it is a testament to a country that desperately needs to listen to every Black woman’s eloquent rage and use it to ignite change.

Sources

Stella Jones Gallery: New Orleans, LA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from

http://www.stellajonesgallery.com/

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: New Orleans city, Louisiana. (2019). Retrieved October 25,

2020, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/neworleanscitylouisiana

Valentine, V. L. (2016, September 28). Culture Talk: New Orleans Gallery Owner Stella Jones

on 20 Years in the Art Business. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/neworleanscitylouisiana