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Roots Run Deep
Artwork Title: Sophie/Elsie
Artist: Mary Sibande
2009, life-size fiberglass mannequin and cotton textile. Museum purchase made possible by Joseph and Annette Allen, 2020/2.53. Photo by Austin Thomason
Sophie/Elsie is part of a series in which South African artist Mary Sibande (b. 1982) explores her family’s history. Sophie is a kind of avatar or alter ego—a life-size fiberglass figure cast in the artist’s own likeness—through which Sibande seeks to understand herself in relation to three generations of women in her family. There are many different versions of Sophie, sometimes dressed in blue and white, the uniform worn by domestic workers in South Africa, and other times in purple, a color that symbolizes protest against the former Apartheid government. Sibande created this version of Sophie, Sophie/Elsie, in 2009 in honor of her great-grandmother, who was given the Western name Elsie because her masters couldn’t be bothered to learn her African name. Here, her maid’s uniform transforms into the dress of a Victorian queen, complete with billowing cape and dramatic train.  

Reflection Prompts:
  • We are all shaped by our history and the particular lineage of people and circumstances that came before us. What are the aspects of your lineage from which you draw strength? Or maybe you find yourself inspired to go in a different direction? What kind of ancestor do you hope to be for those who come next?
  • Sibande uses carefully chosen materials in her Sophie series to uplift the work of her grandmothers and other South African women during Apartheid. The massive skirt and long train of Sophie/Elsie's skirt makes her a queen and yet we also clearly see the uniform of a domestic worker. How would the story of this piece change if the clothing were made of a more regal textile or material? 
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY
Commentary contributed by:
Yodit Mesfin Johnson
President and CEO, NEW
On being shaped by our history:
"Like Sibande, I am the descendant of domestic workers. My great grandmother, Nan, came from the US south in the early 1900’s to Syracuse, NY to be a domestic in a Jewish family’s home. Her daughter, my grandmother, cleaned houses with her until that family gave my grandmother (who was fair skinned and white passing even though she was Black) a job in their jewelry business. Later, my grandmother broke ceilings in industry as the first Black woman to go into appliance sales for Sears Roebuck and Co in NY. She and my grandfather used their earnings to send my mother to college; the first person in our family to attain an advanced degree. My mother never failed a student in all of her 25+ years of working in public education. The will, tenacity, resilience, love and barrier-breaking legacy of my ancestors inspires my work and my devotion to liberation, freedom and justice."

On Sibande's choice of textile:
"If Sibande draped her in gold fabric fit for a queen, would that make her oppression less real than the uniform? There is danger in romanticizing her labor or feeding a Black ‘superwoman’ trope by dressing her up. Instead, we should sit in the truth of her experience and credit Sophie and other Black and Indigenous women as the heroines of nations that we are. Like Sophie and my ancestors, Black women have toiled and cleaned up houses and nations since the dawn of time. This is the legacy of Black and Indigenous women all over the globe; lifting homes, communities and nations on our backs. I don’t want the clothes to change, I want the narrative about our role in nation-building to change."
"My Roots", Sunshine Jackson, 2020, acrylic paint on canvas, image courtesy the artist, used with permission. © 2020 Sunshine Jackson
Artist Highlight - Sunshine Jackson

From the artist: "My roots run deep. My roots crisscross through history, connecting me to my ancestors and the people who have paved the way for me today. My roots have suffered much, yet triumphed even more. My roots do not take away from the person I am but instead adorn her with beauty and strength. My roots are strong, black, and ruthless. My roots have traveled across the entire world and are part of what makes it spin today. Whether my roots are the nappiest part of my hair or the vines that hold me to this earth, I carry them with pride. You cannot cut, trim, pull out, or untangle MY ROOTS. "
Yodit Mesfin Johnson founded Black Men Read, a non-profit organization that sends volunteers to read in classrooms and at community events, connecting kids with role models and changing lives through storytelling. Their current goal is to get a book featuring characters of color into the hands of every kid who attends one of their events.
Mutual Aid Network of Ypsilanti
Creating Survival Programs for Our Most Marginalized Community members
MANY is a collective of community organizers who are working to provide mutual aid and solidarity to their fellow people through programs such as food and pantry support, clothing swaps, and educational resources.
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