Project Overview

(Text of the Audio): Some stains can never be washed out. Racialized violence is part of the origin story of this country’s history. And yet, it is the stain many seek to ignore, deny or wash out as if it never was. Some time ago I sat with a professor, Dr. Willie Tolliver, he told me the story of Mary Turner who was brutally murdered and mutilated while 8 months pregnant. This horrific silencing a response to Mary Turner speaking out against the unlawful/unjust lynching of her husband. After sharing this story with me, Dr. Tolliver asked, “what does therapy look like for the descendants of Mary Turner?” That question opened up so much for me. It was an entry point. I look to my ancestors for the answer. I will trace the embodied knowing, the embodied praxis that Black people have participated in throughout history. I turn to this knowing. I look to my ancestors.