AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 11

APHROCHIC
a curated lifestyle magazine
ISSUE NO. 11 \ SPRING 2023
THE COLOR OF PANTÀ \ LOUISIANA SOUL \ 24 HOURS IN BOLOGNA
APHROCHIC.COM

2023 has started off with a bang and AphroChic magazine is back, shining spotlights on
all of the beautiful, fantastic, and amazing bits of culture that our community has to offer.
Before we dive in, the editors of this magazine have to take a second to thank everyone
for the love that’s been shown to our latest book, APHROCHIC: Celebrating the Legacy of
the Black Family Home. The press has been great and the reviews are fantastic, but what
moves us most has been seeing what this book means to you. The pictures we’ve seen and
received from people happily posing with the book, styling their homes with it, or even
spotting it at their favorite bookstores, along with your kind words, has been so uplifting
that we really can’t thank you enough.
But enough about us. We have a whole diaspora of talent to see and there’s no time to waste. For our cover story, we take
you to Memphis, where designer David Quarles IV, is taking the local food scene all the way to Spain with his magical design of
Chef Kelly English’s new Tapas bar, Pantà. Then, we are very excited to introduce our new fashion editor, Krystle DeSantos, as
she explores the bright, energetic designs of KAHINDO, led by Ugandan designer, Kahindo Mateen. In addition to ultra-modern
silhouettes and vibrant colors with culturally-grounded patterns, Kahindo offers a look at the future of the inner workings
of the design industry with an eye towards sustainability and fair working practices. From there we head to Natchitoches in
northern Louisiana for a taste of history. From the pages of her new book, Life is What You Bake It, author and winner of The
Great American Baking Show’s fourth season, Vallery Lomas, introduces us to the world of Natchitoches meat pies. The flaky,
hand-sized pastries are an authentic taste of Louisiana.
Sated in body, we turn to the search for peace of mind, taking in the atmospheric tones of Baltimore musician John Tyler’s
Music to Free Your Spirit, a reflection of the composer’s personal search for peace in response to the turmoil and crisis that
have characterized the last few years. Then we cast an appreciative eye towards the abstract artistry of boucherouite rugs, the
handwoven “rag rugs” of Morocco that are increasingly finding appreciation as works of modern art. Following that sense of
wanderlust, we go from Morocco to Italy to spend 24 hours in Bologna, a city with thousands of years of history and architecture,
paired with a food culture that is worth the trip.
On the conceptual side, we further our look at the social and sociological dimensions of interior design with an analysis
of our own living room, where womanist concepts were used to create the space we lovingly refer to as the Womb Room.
We also take another step deeper into Diaspora, looking at how the lenses of Diaspora offered by various frameworks —
beginning with the Triadic model of Joseph Harris — shape our experiences and expectations of each other.
Finally, we profile artist, designer, and sculptor Jessica Jean-Baptiste. The Haitian-born artist’s latest works — the Jamal
and Keisha busts — are a delicate and affectionate look at the faces of Black women and men as we rarely see them. We join
Jessica in exploring her own path to artistry, its role in her ongoing discovery of herself and her culture, and the freedom she
finds in sculpture.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Founders, AphroChic
Instagram: @aphrochic
editors’ letter
Jeanine and Bryan with
Ola Ronke Akinmowo, at
her community space in
Brooklyn, The Free Black
Women's Library, for a book
signing event celebrating
the launch of AphroChic:
Celebrating the Legacy of
the Black Family Home.

SPRING 2023
DEPARTMENTS
Read This 10
Watch List 12
Coming Up 14
The Black Family Home 16
Mood 28
FEATURES
Fashion // KAHINDO 32
Interior Design // The Color of Pantà 42
Culture // Boucherouite Rugs 52
Food // Louisiana Soul 60
Entertaining // A Glamorous Springtime Brunch 64
City Stories // 24 Hours in Bologna 74
Wellness // The Clarion Call 88
Reference // Africa, Dispersed People & The Lands of Dispersion 94
PINPOINT
Artists & Artisans 102
Sounds 108
Who Are You? 112

CONTRIBUTORS
Cover Photo: David Quarles
Photographer: Michael Butler
Publishers/Editors: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Creative Director: Cheminne Taylor-Smith
Editorial/Product Contact:
AphroChic
AphroChic.com
magazine@aphrochic.com
Sales Contact:
Ruby Brown
ruby@aphrochic.com
Contributor:
Krystle DeSantos
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READ THIS
This issue of AphroChic magazine has a focus on Black art, from sculpture to fashion to design, so we've
brought together three books that celebrate African American artists in every genre. Artist Whitfield
Lovell, a MacArthur Foundation fellowship recipient and conceptual artist, has been inspired by vintage
photographs of unidentified African Americans for his incredible drawings. The art featured in Passages
is rendered on paper, salvaged boards, and found objects that offer deep symbolism. That sense of history
and importance is also the focus of Black Power Music. Much of classic Motown, soul, and funk music from
1965-1975 served as messages that spoke of the aspirations and frustrations of the Black Power Movement.
This book takes an in-depth look at what was said, and not said, in Black protest music. Black Archives is
an incredible collection of over 300 photos of Black life, from the mundane to the magical moments. The
images showcase reunions, celebrations, candid family shots, church and school functions, holidays, and
iconic moments of excitement, reflection, and pride.
Black Power Music!
by Reiland Rabaka
Publisher: Routland. $38
Whitfield Lovell: Passages
Edited by Michele Wije
Publisher: Rizzoli. $38
Black Archives: A
Photographic Celebration
of Black Life
by Renata Cherlise
Publisher: TenSpeed
Press. $32
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Celebrate Black homeownership and the
amazing diversity of the Black experience
with AphroChic’s newest book
In this powerful, visually stunning book, Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason explore
the Black family home and its role as haven, heirloom, and cornerstone of Black
culture and life. Through striking interiors, stories of family and community,
and histories of the obstacles Black homeowners have faced for generations,
AphroChic honors the journey, recognizes the struggle, and embraces the joy.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

WATCH LIST
The short documentary film Baltimore Speaks: Black Communities, COVID-19 and the Cost of Not Doing Enough
has made its premiere on baltimorespeaks.com. The documentary is the debut film from AphroChic, and it
was written and directed by AphroChic founders Bryan Mason and Jeanine Hays.
Funded by a grant from Black Public Media, the documentary focuses on the pandemic and its impact on the
Black community in Baltimore, told from the viewpoint of Baltimore community members. One of the nation’s
largest communities of African Americans, this Maryland city was deeply affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Mason and Hays felt compelled to tell this story, especially in light of the fact that Hays herself has Long COVID.
“When we first were awarded the grant to tell the story of Baltimore’s Black community and COVID, we thought
this would be a story about vaccine hesitancy,” Mason says. “Instead, we found a city that has a population that
is over 60% Black, and within that community over 80% were already vaccinated. Through our interviews with
Baltimore’s citizens, community leaders, and health officials, we found a much deeper story, told in their own
words.” Mason and Hays produced this short documentary film to collect, acknowledge, and address Black
community concerns around vaccination, highlighting the city's accomplishments, recognizing the difficult
history of medical mistreatment of Black people, and to present the facts of vaccination.
Efforts at widespread vaccination among Baltimore’s Black residents have been largely successful, owing in
large part to a unique partnership between the Baltimore City Health Department, extensive medical and
academic institutions, and members of the Black community. “We were excited to find that the city’s Black
community was tackling vaccine hesitancy head-on through 1-to-1 community interactions, which helped
propel vaccination rates,” Hays says. “What reluctance remains around vaccination is primarily due to historic
mistrust of the medical community, which is itself rooted in a deep history of mistreatment and neglect.” To
view the compelling documentary, go to baltimorespeaks.com.
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Well-traveled home goods, from the rug up.
REVIVALRUGS.COM

COMING UP
Events, exhibits, and happenings that celebrate and explore the African Diaspora.
Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures
March 2023 | NMAAHC | Washington, DC
A new exhibit at the Smithsonian's National
Museum of African American History and
Culture explores the past, present, and
future of Afrofuturism in an exhibition that
features the various people, unique themes,
and radical artistry that have given voice to
it. Featuring hundreds of objects and images
as well as multimedia displays, Afrofuturism: A
History of Black Futures explores the history of
Afrofuturist expression and culture through
literature, music, art, film, and fashion. For
more information, go to nmaahc.si.edu.
Harare 2080 by Simba Mafundikwa
Gullah Festival
May 26-28 | Beaufort, SC
The Gullah are African Americans who live in the
lowcountry region of Georgia, Florida, and South
Carolina, who work to preserve their African cultural
heritage, including a Creole language similar to Sierra
Leone’s Krio. The Gullah Festival celebrates the
Gullah history and culture, showcasing crafts such
as basket and cast net weaving, and includes African
dance and music, drum circles, booths, and more.
Learn more at originalgullahfestival.org.
Beale Street Music Festival
May 5-7 | Memphis, Tenn.
The 45th Beale Street Music Festival is set once again
for Tom Lee Park and on the world-famous Beale Street
in Memphis. Three main stages showcase iconic blues
performers, bands, and singers over three days and
nights. The event also includes the World Championship
Barbecue Cooking Contest, combining two things
that Memphis is known for around the globe. For more
information, go to memphisinmay.org.
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BALTIMORE
S P E A K S
B L A C K
C O M M U N I T I E S
C O V I D - 1 9
A N D T H E
C O S T O F
N O T D O I N G
E N O U G H
W R I T T E N A N D D I R E C T E D B Y
B R Y A N M A S O N A N D J E A N I N E H A Y S
V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E A T B A L T I M O R E S P E A K S . C O M

THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
21st Century Womanist Design
“A woman who loves other women, sexually and/or nonsexually. Appreciates and prefers women's culture,
women's emotional flexibility ... and women's strength. ... Committed to survival and wholeness of entire
people, male and female. Not a separatist, except periodically, for health ... Loves music. Loves dance. Loves
the moon. Loves the Spirit ... Loves struggle. Loves the folk. Loves herself. Regardless. Womanist is to feminist
as purple is to lavender.” — Alice Walker, Coming Apart, 1979
A few months ago for Thanksgiving my in-laws came to visit and
stayed with us at the AphroFarmhouse for our annual holiday celebration.
It’s a favorite time for us. We get to spend time with family,
reconnecting, watching movies together, eating as a family and reminiscing
about old times. And it bring us joy to care for our parents
during their visit, giving those who gave so much to us a time of
comfort. One day during the visit, my father-in-law, who studied
architecture in high school and went on to work as a draftsman in
Philadelphia for over four decades, said, “I think I understand what’s
going on in the living room. It’s a celebration of the Black woman.”
And he was right. The living room is one of my favorite rooms in
our house. I like to refer to it as the “womb room” – my 21st century,
womanist living room; a grown-up version of a girl cave that’s full of
inspirational imagery of the Black female form.
As a student at Spelman College back in the late '90s, I remember
first learning about womanism freshman year of college. It was Alice
Walker who coined the term "womanist" in her short story, Coming
Apart, written in 1979. As a major in political science with a minor in
sociology, the term and its definition appealed to me: Womanism — a
social theory based on the history and everyday experiences of Black
women. According to womanist scholar Layli Maparyan, womanism
seeks to "restore the balance between people and the environment/
nature and reconcil[e] human life with the spiritual dimension."
That desire for something spiritual, restorative, balanced, became
The Black Family Home is an
ongoing series focusing on the
history and future of what home
means for Black families.
This series inspired the new book
AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy
of the Black Family Home.
Words by Jeanine Hays
Photos by Patrick Cline and Jeanine Hays
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FURNITURE
Pieces from Perigold: Teak Chunk Teak
Slice Coffee Table, $2,099; Marley Solid
Wood 3 Legs Coffee Table, $2,399;
Leather Armchair, $820.
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THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
the start of the design of the living room.
Focused on the theory’s core concepts of
equity, anti-racism, communalism, and
embracing the lens of the Black woman, a
story began to take shape in the space. One
I was excited to tell.
Every room that Bryan and I create
together tells a story. Within four walls,
a ceiling and a floor, space becomes our
canvas to write a narrative with furniture,
art and paint. For this space we began with
furniture. Two large velvet sofas in dusty
pink that were sourced from Perigold. The
feminine shade immediately added a feeling
of tranquility to the room. To add more
feminine energy to the space, we found a
beautiful Moroccan rug in Black and cream.
Rugs in Morocco are mainly woven by
women. Boucherouites, Beni Ourains, are
impressionist works of art, created through
the female lens. Made by a woman’s hand,
each is one-of-a-kind, and the rug in this
room not only added an artistic touch, but
helped ground the space completely.
Taking cues from the rug, much of the
rest of the room is a play on a classic color
palette of black and cream, keeping things
light, airy and restful. Walls were painted
in Kelly Wearstler’s Sand. The off-white
shade became even more cozy and enveloping
when we customized drapery from The
Shade Store to match. Wanting fabric to be
draped all along the walls was important.
The custom curtains make you feel like you
are literally wrapped in warmth, creating a
nest-like environment.
Wanting to connect more with nature
in a farmhouse upstate, we brought in
wood furniture that felt organic and raw.
Our teak coffee table in a deep shade of
honey became the perfect centerpiece in
the room, with swirling woodgrains that
reflect the trees outside. And a black side
table added to the effect.
We finished the room with lots and
before
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ART & ACCESSORIES
Pieces from Perigold: Jute Sisal Area Rug, $8,600;
Pieces from Pottery Barn; Faux Potted Fiddle
Leaf Fig Tree, $249; Reed Floating Shelves, $299;
Bootyful Black Bum Vase from Latzio, $85; Sand
by Farrow & Ball, $130; Sisters Framed Art Print
by mmvci from Society6, $93.

THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
lots of art. Collectors of a host of Black figurative
works in painting and sculpture, we hung Sisters by
Mafalda Vasconcelos over one of the sofas. And an
old coat-closet in the room was transformed into a
sculpture garden, featuring pieces by some of our
favorite artists — Jessica Jean-Baptiste, Murjoni
Merriweather — and some discovered at flea markets
and on eBay treasure hunts. Even the lighting had a
role to play: a sculptural table lamp accompanied by
slender, statuesque standing lamps crowned by the
rounded, whimsical shapes of the Nimbus chandelier
– all contributed to the overall feel of the room.
The final space is a retreat. Soft, warm colors,
natural wood grains, wooly and woven textures
and a mix of rounded and edged shapes all quietly
evoke a feeling of femininity, while paintings, sculptures
and busts openly celebrate the image of a Black
woman. The result is comfort – the feeling of being
held – and a statement of Black womanhood in all its
softness and strength, beyond any gaze of judgment,
appropriation or misrecognition. It’s the first room I
like to enter when I come downstairs in the morning.
It’s warm, snuggly and nurturing; the perfect room
for reading a good book, watching movies, or just
sitting and looking out onto the natural splendor
that surrounds us. As with womanism, it’s a space
dedicated to wholeness, restoration and unity, where
the female and male come together in harmony, in
mutual recognition and without competition – and
ultimately a space that promotes love. AC
before
LIGHTING
Pieces from Perigold: Redford 1-Light Armed Sconce,
$360; Nimbus Glass Chandelier, $3,900; Isotope Floor
Lamp, $1,017; Cora Alabaster White Sculpture Table
Lamp from The Home Depot, $356.
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THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
before
“As with womanism, it’s a space
dedicated to wholeness, restoration,
and unity, where the female and male
come together…and ultimately a space
that promotes love”
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MOOD
SCULPTED
Civilizations have long used materials — stone, metal, wood
— to sculpt images of the human form. Through figurative
sculpture, we have an opportunity to take a deeper look at
ourselves and the visible world around us. Today, modern
sculptors like Morel Doucet, Murjoni Merriweather, and Jessica
Jean-Baptiste are building upon ancient Yoruba traditions,
and centuries-old woodcarving techniques that span
the African continent, creating new reflections of the Black
form through brass, ceramic, and plaster.
Armani by Mustafa Ali
Clayton
Contact for price.
wildingcran.com
Blue Feather Mask by
Allison Janae Hamilton
Contact for price.
Artsy.com
The Keisha Bust by Jessica
Jean-Baptiste exclusively
for AphroChic $1,520
perigold.com
Azande Black Cast
Aluminum Sculpture
$149
CB2.com
Ebony in a Veil of Foliage
by Morel Doucet
Contact for price.
Artsy.com
28 aphrochic

Beaded Cowrie
Shell Punu Mask
$450
globalattic.com
The Jamal Bust by Jessica
Jean-Baptiste exclusively
for AphroChic $1,520
perigold.com
Olokun Head Vase in
Black Ceramic
$185
olokunhome.com
Fulani Princess with
Neck Rings $190
ebay.com
issue eleven
SeeMe by Murjoni
Merriweather
Contact for price.
mvrjoni.com
29

FEATURES
KAHINDO | The Color of Pantà | Boucherouite Rugs | Louisiana Soul |
A Glamorous Springtime Brunch | 24 Hours in Bologna | The Clarion
Call | Africa, Dispersed People & The Lands of Dispersion

Fashion
KAHINDO
Modernity, Beauty, and
African Kuba Prints
With wooden crates stacked in the studio, models prepped for
the photo shoot and a deep longing for warmer days, KAHINDO,
a namesake, Black woman-owned clothing brand emerges from
the cold, dreary winter in New York City with a refreshing new
collection to usher in the Spring/Summer 23 season. The collection
embodies the dynamic beauty of Africa with each style named
after one of the 50 most beautiful places on the continent, including
Ethiopia, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Morocco to name a very few.
The prints are inspired by traditional Kuba cloth, which originated
in the 17th century in the Kuba Kingdom of Central Africa, and
the styles are presented through a modern lens; utilizing vibrant
colorways in green, pink, and violet, while leveraging the elaborate
and complex designs of Kuba cloth.
Words by Krystle DeSantos
Images furnished by KAHINDO
32 aphrochic

The spirit of wanderlust,
excitement, and playfulness are all
present in this collection. And while
KAHINDO represents luxury fashion,
the brand is dedicated to creating social
change through their SEW Sustainable
Commitment; empowering women,
closing the gender gap, paying fair
living wages, and creating sustainable
jobs in Africa for their global partners.
Kahindo Mateene, the brilliant
mind behind the brand says “...fashion
is only as beautiful as the way I treat the
female artisans and workers who help
me create my line. That means focusing
on sustainability and ethical work
environments for my global partners,
and using the KAHINDO brand as
a vehicle to create equity and job
opportunities for women. Together, we
share the heart and soul of Africa with
the rest of the world through fashion.”
AC
issue eleven 35

Fashion
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Fashion
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42 aphrochic

Interior Design
The Color
of Pantà
David Quarles IV Designs A Memphis Restaurant
Inspired by African and Spanish Culture
For Memphis-based interior designer David
Quarles IV, being tapped by a good friend to
be the design mind behind his new restaurant,
Pantà, with only a month to design and launch
it, was a challenge he was excited to take on.
Words by Bryan Mason
Photos by Sarah Rossi
issue eleven 43

Interior Design
Just a few minutes into a catch up session in early 2021, the friend in question — noted
Memphis chef Kelly English — put his cards on the table. A recent Spanish-themed pop-up
at Iris, his Southern cuisine-focused flagship, had gone well — really well. So well in fact
that English was moving Iris to a new location, making room for the pop-up to evolve into a
full-time tapas bar, one he wanted David to design.
For English, the transition was to be the fulfillment of a dream. For six months while
he was in college, Kelly lived in Barcelona, a period he points to as the moment he realized
that he wanted to be a chef. For David, the reaction was somewhat different. “All I could
think was, ‘I’ve never designed a restaurant before,’ ” he recalls. “How would I even start the
process? And a whole building?” Having specialized in room-by-room residential projects
and even sworn off of commercial projects previously, it was a high hill to climb.
By the end of the conversation though, English had his man. Doubts had been allayed
and David was on board. Talk then turned to scheduling. As the pandemic was reaching new
heights and every industry was just beginning to feel the impact that global illness has on
supply chain logistics, schedule conflicts and previous engagements left the pair stranded
with just four weeks, the month of October, to effect this transformation.
To start the project, David was in need of inspiration. He decided to take a trip to
Puerto Rico. “Pantà’s interiors were to be inspired by both Spain and Memphis, a predominantly
African American city,” the designer says, “I wanted to visit an island rooted in both
African and Spanish culture to see how their mixed influences translated to design and architecture.”
Further inspiration was provided by English, his experiences in Spain and the mix of
visual and culinary experiences he sought to draw from them. The unique Catalan culture
of Barcelona is expressed in their buildings as well as their food, and English wanted to
share his experience through Pantà. “He shared with me his favorite architect, Antoni
Gaudí,” David remembers, “And [said that] he would like to see a bit of Gaudí reflected in
the design.”
Upon his return, David began assembling his team by reaching out to James Daniels —
Jr. & III — the father-son team behind The Pros, a Black-owned Memphis contracting firm.
From there the team expanded by several more, including David's sister and “second mom,”
as well as “Mr. Sam,” one of Memphis’ few remaining traditional wallpaper hangers the city
has to offer, who accepted the job just ahead of his planned retirement. Tasked with specific
roles from repurposing furniture to creating murals and painting walls, David’s dream
team made quick work of their assignments, and it was a good thing they did.
The weeks leading up to the grand opening of the newly minted and freshly redesigned
restaurant were a mixed bag of blessings, curses, near-misses, and heroic efforts. Wallpaper
ordered from Australia — an expected delay — actually arrived early. A computer error
filled dozens of paint cans with the wrong color. Masterful work was done as every piece of
furniture from the former restaurant was reupholstered and repurposed. And David took a
well-placed shot at muraling, while both Jameses applied colorful tiles to the space's pillars
for a beautifully architectural look. Meanwhile, artist Francis Berry created the centerpiece
for the restaurant’s private dining space — a swirling and intricately detailed painting of a
dragon on the room’s ceiling.
When opening day came the space was perfect. Gaudí’s love of shapes, textures and
colors (a perfect match for David), are fully on display in a space that still feels right for
44 aphrochic

Interior Design
Memphis. The result is vibrant, fun, and instantly
comfortable. “When you walk in the door, you
know this is going to be a good night,” David
smiles. “We have created an ‘experience’ that
makes you feel transported to a different place.
Even the bathrooms are Instagrammable.”
The food lives up to the visual hype, with a
menu split into two equal parts. The traditional
Catalan menu offers such delicacies as the
Gambas al Ajillo (olive oil cooked gulf shrimp
served with shaved garlic, lemon, olives & red
pepper) and the Broqueta de filet (grilled beef
skewers with sautéed kale & red bell pepper
puree). Meanwhile, the flip side of the menu,
composed of Catalan dishes inspired by the
Memphis vibe, boasts such instant hits as its
Pebrots amb arroz caldoso (piquillo peppers
stuffed with picada and saffron rice) and Albondigas
Catalana (meatballs stewed in tomatoes
and olives). The light fare is perfect for a neighborhood
that thrives off of traffic from the nearby
theater district, while drawing on the city’s
legendary barbecue status to create new culinary
conversations.
Miracles don’t come easy, so when they
do pop up, it’s a reason to celebrate. Sticking
together through the bumps and bruises that
come with every design project, David and his
team pulled one off, and in record time. But
even bigger than the professional accomplishment
is the personal milestone this project represented
for David in the ever-progressing work
of accepting one’s own talent and believing what
you see when it’s put to the test. “For me,” he says,
“this was much more than a design project. This
was a way for me to push my creative boundaries,
prove to myself and my trajectory as a designer.
[To prove] that I am capable! This was a ‘you
belong here’ project.” AC
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Interior Design
50 aphrochic

Bouch

erouite Rugs
Rijeta Moroccan rug
available at Revival
$548

Culture
Abstract Works of Self-Expression
Moroccan rag rugs, better known as Boucherouites,
are unique among the many rugs made by the
women of Morocco’s Berber or Amazigh tribes.
While rug weaving has been both an honored
necessity and a high art among the Amazigh
people since time immemorial, the creation of
Boucherouite rugs is a fairly modern art by an
ancient people.
It was members of the Lamtuna Amazigh that
founded Morocco in 1070 AD with the building of
Marrakech. From there they established the vast
Almoravid empire which not only encompasses
large portions of the Maghreb, but essentially
all of Andalusian Spain, stretching as far north as
Zaragoza. Today, Amazigh tribes reside largely in
the Atlas Mountains, away from Morocco’s major
cities.
Words by Bryan Mason
54 aphrochic

Shweta Moroccan rug
available at Revival
$399
issue eleven 55

Culture

Eniu Moroccan rug
available at Revival
$299

Culture
In the 20th century, a variety of economic
factors led to reduction in nomadism among some
Amazigh tribes and the transition to agriculture
from traditional herding practices. As a result, the
growing scarcity of traditional materials made it
harder and harder for Amazigh women to weave
their usual rugs in their usual ways. Boucherouites
emerged in the 1960s and '70s as a response to these
unavoidable realities before growing into a new form
of artistic expression.
Unlike other Moroccan rugs, which are made
from wool, Boucherouite rugs are made from
scraps of whatever material is available, including
synthetic fabrics from old clothes or even
remnants of other rugs. The name Boucherouite
comes from the Arabic “bu sherwit,” meaning
“rag,” or “scrap of used clothing.” The word speaks
to the unremarkable origins of each piece. What
makes these upcycled artworks special, however,
is the fantastic array of patterns and colors they
can contain.
Traditionally, Moroccan rugs are woven within
very well-established motifs. Most are distinguishable
by region. By contrast, the Boucherouite
weaving style developed into a form of creative
release for the women who were creating it. Instead
of well-planned geometric patterns, Boucherouite
rugs are “spontaneous” compositions intended
to express the feelings of the weaver in a particular
moment. As a result, the designs can range from
tight geometric patterns to boundless abstract compositions
with rapid color changes, blended shapes,
and seemingly random angles.
While the styles originated near the Moroccan
cities of Boujad and Beni Mellal, it has since become
widespread among the Amazigh in many places, and
unlike traditional Moroccan rugs, Boucherouites are
hard to connect to a specific location by the design
and style alone.
Originally, Amazigh rugs were woven for use
in the home, and were not for sale. Because of that,
for a time Boucherouite rugs were beautiful secrets
seen only in Amazigh homes. It took time for people
to see beyond the humble materials to recognize the
artistry and craftsmanship it takes to weave such
magical compositions out of rags or scraps.
Today, Boucherouite rugs can be used to
add color and pattern to an interior. Because
they emerged in the '60s and '70s, the pieces have
a mid-century modern feel and fit well among
mid-century furnishings. They can also be displayed
as playful pieces that help break up rooms that are
overly traditional. Most are one-of-a-kind, so you
can be sure that the Boucherouite you are bringing
into your home will be unlike any other in the world.
Our favorite sources for Boucherouite rugs:
Revival
You can search for rugs by country and style
on Revival’s website. They have a collection of rugs
from Morocco that include many one-of-a-kind
Boucherouites. Each rug is professionally cleaned as
well.
Soukie Modern
Founded by Taib Lotfi and Kenya Knight, the
two have curated a collection of vintage and newly
created Moroccan rugs. Taib hails from Morocco and
is an expert in Moroccan textiles. Each rug that this
design duo identifies is an absolute work of art for
the home, and they have an assortment of colorful
Boucherouites.
Secret Berbère
Experts in the world of Moroccan rugs,
Secret Berbère ships rugs worldwide. Each rug is
handmade in the Altas Mountains and no chemicals
are used in the process — just vegetable dye. Their
collection of Boucherouite rugs are beautiful and
durable masterworks for the home. AC
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Eniu
Moroccan
rug
Rijeta
Moroccan
rug
Shweta
Moroccan
rug
issue eleven 59

Food
Louisiana Soul
A Savory Meat Pie that Offers a Taste of Home
Natchitoches is a small town in northern Louisiana that is
home to one of the best kept secrets of Louisiana cuisine:
Natchitoches meat pies. I spent summers in Natchitoches
when I was in middle school taking courses like Latin
and trigonometry. And as much fun as academic summer
camp was (no sarcasm — it really was fun!), eating the
Nachitoches meat pies at the end of our four-hour drive
from Baton Rouge was the most memorable part.
In an ode to my northern Louisianan brethren and
sistren, here is my take on the savory Natchitoches
meat pie. I use a crawfish étouffée recipe instead of the
traditional meat filling (shrimp works well, too!) and
bake them for gorgeous flaky layers. If you have leftover
filling, save it and serve it over rice, Louisiana-style.
Words by Vallery Lomas
Photos copyright © 2021 by Linda Xiao
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Food
Crawfish Hand Pies
(makes 8 pies)
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter
1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons (25g) all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup (180ml) white wine
¾ cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
1 dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound crawfish tail meat or shrimp (if using shrimp,
roughly chop)
1 large egg
1 disk of dough for Flaky Pie Crust (recipe next page)
or store-bought pie dough
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell
pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the
skillet and cook, stirring, until fragrant, an additional 1 minute.
2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over the ingredients and stir. Add the tomato paste and stir until
it is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the wine and water. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the hot sauce, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until
the mixture starts to thicken. Add the crawfish and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the
crawfish is cooked through and opaque, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard
the bay leaf. Let cool completely before using for the filling.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and whisk the egg in a small bowl.
5. Roll the pie crust on a floured work surface to a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Work quickly because
cold dough is easier to handle and preserves the flaky layers. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut
circles of dough as close to one another as possible. Gather the scraps, reroll, and cut out more
circles. You should have about 16 rounds, which is enough for 8 hand pies.
6. Place 8 rounds of dough on the baking sheet. Mound about 2 tablespoons of étouffée in the
center of each of the rounds. Try to keep the étouffée in the center and leave about ½-inch
border around the edge.
7. Gently brush the whisked egg around the edge of the dough, which will act like glue to hold
the 2 circles of dough together. Place the remaining 8 dough rounds on top, and press the tines
of a fork around the edges to seal.
8. Place the hand pies in the freezer for 15 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.
10. Brush the pies all over with the remaining egg wash. Use a small, sharp knife to cut an X in
the top of each pie so steam can escape during baking. Transfer the baking sheet with the pies
to the oven and bake until golden all over, about 30 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving warm.
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GET THE BOOK
Reprinted with permission from Life is What You Bake
It: Recipes, Stories & Inspiration to Bake Your Way To
the Top by Vallery Lomas. Photographs copyright ©
2021 by Linda Xiao. Published by Clarkson Potter, an
imprint of Penguin Random House.
Flaky Pie Crust (makes enough for 2 pie crusts or 1 double-crust pie)
2½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch slices
1 ⁄3 cup (80ml) ice cold water, or more as needed
2 tablespoons (30ml) apple cider vinegar
1. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor, or a large bowl if
using a pastry blender. Pulse or whisk until the mixture is combined.
2. Add the butter and pulse until most of the butter is broken into pea-size pieces,
about 15 pulses. There will be some larger pieces of butter, and that’s a good thing. If
using a pastry blender, blend the butter until it’s pea size.
3. Add the cold water and vinegar to a cup and pour the liquid over the crumbly
flour-butter mixture. Pulse until it looks like tiny clumps (like space dots ice cream),
and there are no large pockets of flour. If using a pastry blender, use a large rubber
spatula for this step, folding until no large pockets of flour remain.
4. Tip the mixture onto your work surface and use a light touch to gather the dough
together and pat it down until it’s about 1 inch thick. Fold the dough in half, then
pat it back down to a 1-inch block. Repeat twice, then pat and gather the dough into
2 round disks, smoothing the sides so they aren’t dry and crumbly. Wrap the disks
tightly in plastic and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up
to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month and defrosted in the refrigerator
between 1 and 3 days.
issue eleven 63

Entertaining
A Glamorous
Springtime Brunch
In Shades of Smokey Black and Hot Fuchsia
Flowers are in bloom, the days grow longer, and life comes
back to the world as spring arrives. And while springtime
gatherings are usually light and airy, this brunch is anything
but, with a table display awash in deep, dark hues and pops
of hot pink.
Written, Designed, and Produced by Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason
Photos by Anna Moller
Floral Design by Emily Howard
issue eleven 65

Entertaining
The sweet smells of magnolia, jasmine, and white grapefruit line
the table in a mix of stunning purple and black flowers among flickering
candlelight. Arrangements of an exotic mix of peonies, anemones,
eucalyptus, and ranunculus stand out against a setting of smoky wine
and crown glasses.
For a touch of the season, sculptural elements add to the display.
Alabaster grape clusters and porcelain black-and-white apple boxes
are a nod to the season of renewal. And a range of brass trays and
utensils from Japan are the final touches of glam.
A makeshift bar offers a modern take on a spring mint julep. The
“Brooklyn Stoop Sipper,” from Dick & Jane’s in the borough, is a julep-inspired
concoction made with a mix of bourbon, mint, and honey,
perfect for spring. And to add to the magical setting, desserts from
Manhattan’s Mah-Ze-Dahr add a sweet touch.
The table setting, a gorgeous mix of elements perfect for celebrating
the coming of spring with friends and family. AC
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Entertaining
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Dick & Jane’s "Brooklyn Stoop Sipper"
INGREDIENTS:
Pinch Mint (5-7 mint leaves)
3/4 oz Lemon juice
1/2 oz honey syrup
1/2 oz yellow Chartreuse
2 oz Bourbon
3 dash Angostura bitters
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add mint in small shake tin, add lemon, honey and yellow chartreuse, then
muddle down on mint to bring out aromatics, (don't twist) add bourbon, add
ice and hard shake, strain into rocks glass over ice, add bitters and garnish
mint sprig.
issue eleven 71

Travel

City Stories
24 Hours in
Bologna
Some people travel for excitement, others to relax. We mostly travel for work.
But when we’re not working, it’s history that catches our eye. Places where you
can still see the work of hands long past in things created to fulfill a need, as
well as to express an idea. So when a trip abroad to visit a trade show brought
us to Bologna, a sprawling, modern Italian city built around the framework of
a medieval town, with just one day to see the sights, you can believe we made
the most of it.
Words and Photos by Bryan Mason
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City Stories
Getting to Know Bologna
Bologna is a city with a long history, many lives and several
nicknames. That history stretches back more than 2,000 years to the
Etruscans and encompasses a line of occupants that was already long
— including the Boii, Romans and Goths — before its inclusion in
the Germanic kingdoms of first the Lombards and later the Frankish
Carolingians under Charlemagne, who would become the first Holy
Roman Emperor. The city experienced its share of internecine Italian
strife and Papal intrigue on its way to achieving a nominal independence
in 1183 from then-emperor Frederick I. Though influences
from the distant past continue to resonate today — some of the roads
in Old Town are said to still follow routes laid down by the ancient
Romans — the oldest parts of the city are from the so-called high
medieval period (1000-1300 AD) when it flourished as a center of
learning
As an education center, Bologna boasts an impressive resume,
having produced the influential medieval jurists Martinus Gosia,
Jacobus de Boragine, Bulgarus, and Hugo de Porta Ravennate, collectively
known as the Four Doctors of Bologna, along with early
humanist poet Petrarch and writer Dante Alighieri known for his
Divine Comedy. The University of Bologna, established some 935 years
ago in 1088, is Europe’s oldest, continually-active university, leading
the city to be dubbed La Dotta, or the Learned One. Today, the university’s
student population is credited for maintaining the city’s
lively and energetic atmosphere.
Where to Stay
As the largest city and capital of the Emilia-Romagna region of
northern Italy, Bologna offers lots of places to stay. But if you’re interested
in a walking tour, it’s a good idea to stay closer to the Old
City located in the city’s center. Better yet, you can stay within the
Old City’s walls. Don’t let the name and the Roman roads fool you.
Bologna’s Old City is an amazing juxtaposition of the medieval past
and the 21st century. Buildings built in the time of the Medicis, sitting
across expansive plazas and situated along high stone walls, hold
every modern business, service, and amenity from pharmacies and
movie theaters to trendy shopping opportunities. Hotels like the
Hotel Internazionale and Hotel I Portici, both located in the northern
section of the Old City, between Porta Mascarella and Porta Galliera,
offer quick access to some of Bologna’s most intriguing sights along
with luxury accommodations.
Where to Eat
If you’re a lover of pasta, then of course the answer is just about
anywhere — it’s Italy! And while sadly, the notion that Bologna is the
ancestral home of the famous Bolognese sauce is a myth — historians
actually bestow that honor on nearby Imola — the beloved ragù
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City Stories
(meat-based sauce) is easy to find. Even so, you likely won’t find it
paired with spaghetti. Locals prefer the thicker tagliatelle noodle
because it holds more sauce, and after a few meals, there’s a good
chance that you will, too. And even if pasta isn’t the center of your
food universe, the Emilia-Romagna region has a vast, traditional food
culture that can and will fulfill your every possible desire, a fact which
has earned Bologna another moniker, La Grassa — the Fat One.
For anyone who feels that taking meals has become an overly
mechanical process, more about efficiency than enjoyment, Bologna
is a great place to find some culinary perspective. A standard bearer
of the slow-food philosophy of old, Bologna is a place where the social
misstep of ordering coffee to go will quickly mark you as a tourist and
invite a few quizzical looks. And in fact they may have a point. The
city’s many restaurants offer several dishes with which Americans
are familiar, made with time and care, without a focus on mass-production,
long storage and quick preparation. The result is a discernible
difference in quality.
To experience this part of the culture first hand, just take a
morning walk along the streets of Old City (sans coffee). Chances
are you’ll find yourself stopping at the glass fronts of many shops
and restaurants to watch the experts at work as they freshly stretch
and cut noodles for the day, rolling and stuffing tortellinis by hand.
Mortadella, the cured, spiced, and thinly sliced pork delicacy born
in the city and known in its more industrial form as bologna, is
another common delight. Bologna is also the hometown of prosciutto,
making it the hero of charcuterie boards everywhere. And for
those with the time and ambition to venture 40 minutes or so out of
town, the nearby town of Modena boasts the world’s oldest continually
operating makers of balsamic vinaigrette. Vastly different from
what we find in the salad dressing aisle in most supermarkets, traditional
balsamic vinaigrette in Modena is aged from years to decades
in barrels that can be more than a century old. The thick, rich product
of this process is used sparingly, only in drops, on a surprising variety
of dishes that can range from ice cream to Parmigiano Reggiano, the
iconic hard cheese that’s usually grated over pasta, but is even better
in crumbles with a vinaigrette topping.
What to See
Bologna is less of a tourist attraction than some of Italy’s other
remaining medieval towns, so time spent there can be enjoyed at a
slower, more relaxing pace. Even so, it’s possible to see much of
the medieval fortress town in one day. The twin plazas of Piazza del
Nuttuno and Piazza Maggiore are perfect places to start the day, and
return to throughout. These expansive plazas are perfect for people
watching while taking in the beautifully aged hue of the buildings, for
which the city has earned yet another nickname, La Rossa — the Red
One. From there, lovers of architecture will enjoy wandering the Old
City’s streets, taking in the Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune),
designed by architect Tommaso Laureti in 1563, with the massive
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City Stories
statue of the Greek sea god, created by Giovanni
da Bologna, considered the last great sculptor
of the Italian Renaissance, which was added in
1566. Similarly, the Palazzo d’Accursio, once the
home of 12th century Roman jurist Accursius,
and later a building for government and city administrators,
boasts spectacular features, while
inside, the Civic Art Collection includes works
which, like the building, date back to the Middle
Ages.
An attraction for historians, art lovers,
and the faithful alike, Old City is home to a
number of medieval churches, many with historical
or political significance. Basilica di San
Petronio, one of the world’s largest cathedrals,
dedicated to the city’s patron saint and site of
the crowning of a Holy Roman Emperor, looms
over Piazza Maggiore. Meanwhile the Basilica
di San Francesco (St. Francis of Assisi) is built
on land gifted to the Franciscan order in 1236
by Pope Gregory IX. This section of the city also
houses the Basilica di San Domenico, built on
the site of the church of San Nicolò, where Saint
Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order,
preached from 1219 to 1221 and which hold his
remains today.
For those of us looking for Black history
on our vacations, know that Italy’s history
includes several brushes with the Diaspora,
from Hannibal at the gates of Rome to Septimius
Severus on its throne, the Renaissance-era ruler
Alessandro de’ Medici and Domenico Mondelli,
the world’s first Black pilot, along with many
others. And while Bologna is a long way from
Rome, in 2020 the city celebrated its first Black
History Month, becoming only the second Italian
city to do so. Meanwhile, a number of creatives
are forging Black futures in the country, such as
fashion designers Michelle Ngonmo and Stella
Jean, and graffiti artist Rediet Longo.
The art, history, architecture, and cuisine
of Bologna, particularly its Old City, are an experience
worth having. Whether in a day, a
week, or more, the area offers plenty to enjoy
whether your idea of fun is following in the
steps of ancient history, enjoying the food or
shopping or just sitting back with a coffee, a
charcuterie board and some balsamic vinaigrette
and watching it all pass by. AC
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City Stories
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issue eleven 83

City Stories
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issue eleven 85

City Stories
86 aphrochic

THE AMUR
SCONCE
W A Y F A I R . C O M

Wellness
The Clarion Call
The People’s CDC Provides A Sobering
Look at the COVID-19 Crisis
Every week, The People’s CDC, a coalition of public health
practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators,
and advocates working to reduce the harmful impacts of
COVID-19, releases a weather report. The volunteer-run
organization sifts through data that’s becoming harder
and harder to find on the United States Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website. In a clear report,
they inform citizens about transmission levels, new variants,
wastewater levels, and hospitalizations, providing us with a
snapshot of how the virus is progressing.
Interview by Bryan Mason
Photos by August De Richelieu, Charlotte May, Laura James,
Tima-Miroshnichenko, and Monstera
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issue eleven 89

Wellness
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Their posts on social media are sobering,
as they tell us how many people have died of
COVID nationally (a weather report the week
of February 1 revealed that 15,000 Americans
had already died of COVID in just a few weeks
of the new year), through charts and graphs
that they’ve collected from a variety of sources,
including CDC data, studies from JAMA
Network, and new research that’s revealed the
effects of Long COVID on the body.
The coalition, which is independent of
partisan political and corporate interests, disseminates
evidence-based updates, the latest
scientific literature and policy recommendations,
with a single goal in mind - to end the
pandemic. And end it in a way that is equitable,
building collective power and supporting communities.
The People’s CDC has become an
important resource for us as we work on
advocacy around Long COVID, which impacts
our lives daily. And they provided us with tools
and resources for the AphroChic 2022 COVID-19
Summit that was held at the end of 2022. We had
the opportunity to speak with them further
about the state of the COVID-19 crisis and what
each of us can do to help bring an end to this
global pandemic.
AC: Can you give us a clear picture of where we
are right now, as a nation, with COVID-19?
PCDC: Looking at wastewater, which is our best
measure of infections right now, community
transmission is rising. The number of cases
fluctuate from week to week, but they are high
everywhere. Hospitalizations are rising almost
everywhere as well, except the West Coast and
some mountain states (for now). Hospitalizations
are especially high among seniors/older
adults. Everyone needs to obtain the bivalent
booster, especially those who are 65 or older.
AC: The explosion of infections following Delta
and Omicron and the decreases that followed
seem to have given us a skewed view of our
progress. Overall, how do the rates of infections,
hospitalizations, and deaths for 2022 compare
to those same numbers from 2020? Are we
making progress or losing ground?
PCDC: It's interesting that there’s a perception
of a decrease, probably because last winter
was the worst surge of the entire pandemic.
However, last summer, with the swarm of
variants, we actually had more transmissions
than the winters of 2020 or 2021 (particularly
before December). We were consistently
at a high level in 2022, since the government
removed more protective layers, including mask
mandates, PCR testing, and case reporting,
and due to uncontrolled transmission, COVID
continues to evolve more variants that become
more transmissible. Cases are being significantly
undercounted due to the lack of an infrastructure
to report rapid testing results and the
drop in urgency for testing. Now, relative to the
amount of transmission, there are somewhat
lower rates of hospitalizations, due in part to
the bivalent booster and COVID treatments like
Paxlovid. But we could be doing much, much
better — and our healthcare system can’t take
this sustained pressure.
AC: There seem to be a number of nuances to interpreting
official reports that can make them
difficult to understand. If states or hospitals
aren’t required to report COVID numbers, how
accurate are the current statistics? If vaccination
rates are based on the number of people
who’ve received a single shot, when two of the
three available vaccines require two shots, and
there’s no mention of boosters, how vaccinated
are we?
PCDC: Without good case reporting, we are
flying a little bit blind. Wastewater — which
doesn’t depend on taking or reporting a test —
is the next best set of data; if folks are sick, then
COVID is in the sewers. But we need a lot more
sites testing their wastewater. The CDC does
measure vaccines and boosters — and boosters
are the number we focus on, because one dose,
especially if it’s been more than a few months,
is not doing a lot. We also look at hospitalizations
and deaths, which also give us an indication
of how the country is dealing with COVID
at the moment. None of these single measures
tell us the whole answer, but collectively, they
give us a sense of how we are doing. We do a
lot of this work at the People’s CDC; take a look
at our weekly Weather Reports that interpret
the data and the latest research so the general
public can understand what is going on. You can
find this on our website, Instagram, Facebook,
Mastodon, and Twitter; you can also subscribe
to our Substack so you get the weekly updates
automatically.
AC: Why is it so difficult to obtain clear information?
Who actually benefits from obfuscated
data and skewed reporting when they only make
it more difficult for us to recover from this crisis?
PCDC: While it’s arguably hard to know the
intention behind this obfuscation of data, it’s
clear that the goal of the government — at all
levels and regardless of the party in charge —
is to encourage us to engage in activities that
generate capital (such as traveling, shopping,
dining indoors at restaurants, and going to
work). Policymakers, businesses, and corporate
media alike continue to decry the economic
impact of COVID-cautious behaviors, because
our concern for our lives and our bodies are inconsequential
compared to the impact on their
wallets.
The CDC itself has released a report
showing that half of adults believed transmission
to be low to moderate, despite
sustained high transmission — which goes
to show the failure of the CDC to communicate
about COVID accurately in the first place.
It’s important to recognize this because when
people perceive local transmission to be high,
they are more likely to use preventive behaviors,
such as avoiding indoor dining and maintaining
masking in public spaces. The same CDC study
underscored that if people knew transmission
issue eleven 91

Wellness
is high, they would be more careful. We should
demand clear and responsible communications
from the federal, state, and local governments.
AC: As we continue to see higher rates of travel
and indoor gathering, what can/should we do to
keep ourselves protected?
PCDC: At the individual level, it’s all about layers
— testing, wearing high-filtration masks in
indoor spaces (verified N95, KF94, or KN95 grade
masks), avoiding large crowds, using good ventilation,
employing air filtration, getting the
booster (and a flu shot!), seeing people outdoors,
and avoiding exposures before gatherings.
However, at the systems level, there’s so
much more that could be done. Our governments
should send out monthly free tests to all
US residents and N95 masks (KF94 for children).
They should fund fast and accessible PCR clinics
throughout the country, because PCR tests are
the gold standard, meaning they have far less
false negatives than rapid tests. Make reporting
test results easy and have data be well-organized
and accessible to the public. Set up more
wastewater testing. Communicate clearly and
frequently about the risks of the virus, especially
Long COVID, to the public. Get vaccines to
seniors and into communities. Everyone should
have paid sick leave. All buildings and public
spaces should have ventilation standards and air
filtration, especially in high-traffic areas.
AC: What are the specific policies that you feel
need to be enacted at the state and federal level,
and what are the specific steps we all can take
to put pressure on policymakers to address our
needs?
PCDC: We have a duty to protect our most vulnerable
neighbors and each other. This means
that we have to make public spaces safe for
people who are immunocompromised, disabled
(including those with Long COVID), elderly, and
more. We know that the pandemic has disproportionately
affected poor people, Black, Latine,
Indigenous, and people of color due to economic
factors and structural racism. With increasing
evidence that COVID impacts our immune
systems for at least eight months — contributing
to the rise in severe RSV and flu and overflowing
pediatric hospitals — this means we have
to do everything we can at all levels to reduce
COVID transmission. COVID is not the flu — it
is a multisystemic virus, the long-term effects
of which are unpredictable, regardless of one’s
age, health, or any other factors.
To this end, we need to mobilize at all
levels, both at the grassroots, at the levels of
our families and households, and at the level of
our government. Lots of people who continue
to care about COVID and understand its risks
have been feeling hopeless lately. But there is
so much hope and efficacy in coming together
to organize in real-life spaces. We don’t mean
going into unsafe public unmasked spaces.
We mean following the example of organizations
like Mask Mandate New York, which has
mobilized hundreds of New Yorkers around
mask mandates in public transport, by asking
them to call, email, and virtually testify at City
Council and Transportation hearings. They
succeeded in getting rid of NY’s terrible “You Do
You” campaign and in having the MTA [NYC’s
transit system] return signs recommending
masking. And they’re still continuing their
advocacy, with guides like the NYC Mask Guide,
conveying valuable information about which
public venues still enforce masking protocols.
If you are a union member, find another
person in your union and follow the example
of Academic Workers at the University of California
who gathered 500 signatures on an open
letter and drafted an article around public
health and safety (with demands for masking,
PCR test access, etc.). Through the course of
their strike, they have succeeded in increasing
mask use on the picket line, and bringing back
masks to organizing spaces. And they’re still
going!
Individuals can call and write to their
policymakers across all levels of government
asking for a return of mask mandates in indoor
settings, including schools, and access to testing
and masks. Individuals can ask their members
of Congress to support continued funding for
COVID health measures and ask that they do
NOT let the public health emergency expire.
In the coming year, we are advocating for
a return to mask mandates in all indoor public
settings, especially medical facilities and public
transportation. All levels of government should
provide access to free rapid at-home and PCR
testing, and the federal government should mail
out more than four tests along with high-quality
masks. Policymakers should support unionized
workers and start requiring or expand paid sick
leave policies.
AC: How can we connect with you and get
involved today?
PCDC: This work is difficult and tiring as an
individual. You must find other like-minded
people, who either live in the same community,
or work in the same workplace. Advocate
together around specific demands; providing
moral support to one another in the process is
essential. Specific steps can include writing to
and speaking with your local, state, and federal
political leaders, recruiting and educating
business interest groups to support these
policies, and enlisting the support of local
community organizations. Make small wins,
however tiny, and publicize them widely! You
are not alone — we are not alone — in wanting
a just and healthy response to the COVID-19
crisis — and together we can and will create that
response. Join or create local organizations to
advocate for COVID safety, or join us by filling
in our volunteer form and one of us will contact
you shortly.
92 aphrochic

COVID-19 Resources
Baltimore Speaks
This short film by AphroChic explores
the impact of the virus on the Black community
and the role that medical mistrust,
created through a long history
of mistreatment of Black people,
played in creating hesitancy around
the vaccine, as well as the heroic efforts
of community members, medical
institutions and the city’s health department
to reach vaccination goals. Visit
the website to watch the documentary
short, spotlights of community
members and view panel discussions
from the AphroChic 2022 COVID-19 Summit.
BaltimoreSpeaks.com
The People’s CDC Safer In-Person
Gatherings Guide
The Safer In-person Gatherings Toolkit
was developed by a coalition of public
health experts and grassroots organizations
to help educators, parents, and
communities advocate for safer, equitable
schools, and separate fact from fiction
about COVID-19 protections. The toolkit is
regularly updated as new science and information
is available.
SeeYouSafer.org
Network for Long COVID Justice
Network-builders, communicators and
mobilizers who help link patient-led
support groups and information sharing,
groundbreaking research, grassroots
community organizing and mobilization,
communications, and policy analysis and
advocacy for local, state, federal and international
policies on the COVID-19/Long
COVID pandemic.
longcovidjustice.org
issue eleven 93

Reference
Africa, Dispersed People
& The Lands of Dispersion
Exploring the Three Sides of Joseph Harris’
Triadic Model of Diaspora
Human beings are unique among nature’s creatures, in that the stories
we tell ourselves about reality often do more to shape our thoughts
and actions than reality itself. Race and money, nation-states and our
allegiance to them, all are stories that we tell and retell, shaping billions
of lives not by what is, but by what we imagine. Even science is our
ever-evolving and never-complete narrative of what the world around
us is and how it works. This is not, categorically speaking, a bad thing.
Our stories enable us to make sense out of the world around us, to orient
ourselves in it so that we can decide where we want to go and how best
to get there. If the use of tools is truly what separates the human animal
from every other animal this world has to offer, then our stories are our
most effective, most important tool.
Words by Bryan Mason
Photos by Svitlana Miku
issue eleven 95

Reference
The African Diaspora is a reality and
a fact. Hundreds of years ago, millions of
people were forcibly removed from the African
continent and flung across oceans, forced to
labor and suffer the inhumanity of those who
purchased, traded and used them like objects
or animals. In the centuries since, the descendants
of the dispersed have formed new
cultures that have themselves grown to impact
and shape the world — including the continent
of their initial dispersion — not by conquest but
by the power of their content. These cultures
are connected by their place of origin, their
shared and similar histories, and their constant
influence and reliance on one another.
The African Diaspora is also a story and
a tool. And as such, how we choose to envision
it narratively will have the most crucial impact
on how we perceive its reality and how effective
a use we make of its utility. As with so many
things, the shape of Diaspora is determined
largely by how we choose to see it.
In the previous segment of this series, we
encountered several frameworks developed
by scholars of different fields and times. Some
have been specific to the African Diaspora,
while others have sought to define diasporas
as a whole. Some begin with the trans-Atlantic
slave trade and some point to a distant
moment in antiquity as the point where our
Diaspora began. And while some upheld the
idea of the “underlying African self” classifying
all members of the Diaspora as essentially the
same, others emphasized difference and the
spaces between us. Yet despite these differences,
each of them is a story of us, a lens, lending
a specific shape to how we see our Diaspora,
our communities and ourselves. And like any
tool, these stories must be evaluated: How well
do they work? Do they help or harm? And what
direction do they point us in as we follow them
forward? So, as not to be overwhelmed by the
sheer multitude of current diaspora models,
this series will confine itself to two which have
been most impactful for the African Diaspora
particularly, the Triadic model of Joseph
Harris’ and Paul Gilroy’s Black Atlantic.
The Triadic / Harris Model
Introduced by Jospeh Harris, one of
two scholars credited with first coining the
phrase “African Diaspora,” the Triadic model
is compact but robust. In concept it mirrors,
if not directly derives from, Eric Williams’
outline of the “Triangular Trade” in enslaved
Africans, raw materials and finished products
that ran between the three sites of Europe,
Africa and the many colonies of the “New
World.” Like Williams, Harris proposes an understanding
of the global complex of historical
and cultural interactions that make up the
Diaspora as a relationship between just three
significant points: The continent of Africa;
those who were dispersed (and their descendants);
and the lands to which they respectively
went. Between these few poles, however,
Harris encapsulates a myriad of relationships
and historical points. Outlined in his work,
The Dynamics of the Global African Diaspora,
part of the larger work, The African Diaspora,
edited by Alusine Jalloh and Stephen Maizlish,
Harris immediately notes the tangible
impact of diasporas as entities that, “develop
and reinforce images and ideas about [the
dispersed] and their original homelands, as
well as [affecting] the economies, politics, and
social dynamics of both the homeland and the
host country or area.”
In envisioning the history of our diaspora,
Harris divides the timeline between what he
terms the “historical diaspora,” made up of the
voluntary as well as involuntary movements
of Africans prior to the start of the trans-Atlantic
slave trade and the “modern diaspora,”
which is essentially everything that came after.
Though he makes the distinction specifically to
call out the extent to which African movement
in antiquity was volitional, he nevertheless
points to slave trades in both periods (specifically
the trans-Saharan trade which predates
the trans-Atlantic by more than a millennium)
as the primary forces that, “made the African
presence essentially global.”
Though the characteristics by which
Harris defines the African Diaspora have
already been explored in this series (see Issue
9), there remains more to be said. There are two
primary, binary dialectics at work in Harris’
triad. The first, a global dialogue between what
he terms “Africa,” and “its diaspora,” and the
second, between “homeland” and “hostland,”
played out in the communities and individual
minds of the dispersed. Not unexpectedly
the two exert strong influence upon one
another, as for Harris, it is the “gradual transformation
from African to African American
or African European [that] helps to explain the
complexity and dialectical contradictions in
the relations between the African diaspora and
the homeland, the phenomenon behind W.E.B.
DuBois’s concept of ‘double consciousness.’”
Whether this is a wholly accurate
depiction of DuBois’ double consciousness
or whether that concept constitutes a final
word in the process of African American identity-building,
Harris continues to explore
these dialectical contradictions comparing
the homeland/hostland dichotomy which he
situates at the root of every diaspora consciousness
to what he deems the more unified,
arguably less affected self-image of the
“African.” “When the colonial era ended,” he
argues, “after less than a century in most cases,
the colonial identity had not fully matured.
Consequently, until the 1960s, most Africans
in Africa retained a primary ethnic allegiance,
while their descendants abroad constituted a
‘stateless’ diaspora without a common country
of origin, language, religion or culture.”
The fact that, for Harris, the transition
from African to African American —
or any other iteration of Diaspora-identi-
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Reference
ty — complicates the question of identity for members of
the African Diaspora while failing to affect the arguably
tenuous designations of home and host lands (see Issue
9), suggests that this concept of Diaspora is one based on
the idea of the underlying African self. If there is, in fact, a
true African self that underlies every Diaspora culture and
every Diaspora member, then the characteristics of those
cultures are simply artificial overlays creating, gaps or, as
Edwards might suggest, “dècalage,” (see Issue 6) between
new, derivative cultures and the original. Further, Africa
would always remain, inescapably the homeland, no matter
how many generations it took to effect the transformation,
as he puts it, or how ingrained or successful the descendants
of the dispersed eventually became in their respective
hostlands.
The View From Here
The shape of Diaspora through the Triadic lens offers its
share of pros and cons. To begin with, stylistically, one has to
admire the efficiency of Harris’ design. He manages to accomplish
a lot with only three points of reference, encompassing
thousands of years of history, two distinct diasporic eras and
many competing identities, perspectives and conversations.
However there are also a few of what might best be termed,
“anachronisms,” engrained within the concept that may lead
us to question whether it is in fact the best depiction of the
Diaspora as we currently experience it.
The question of homeland/hostland dichotomies is one
with which we are already familiar, having argued previously
for the impossibility of keeping these as fixed notions — at
least to the extent demanded here — over several generations
of people born in diaspora. We have similarly explored the limitations
of the idea of an underlying African self, as pointed
out in the work of Paul Gilroy and Stuart Hall (see Issues 5 & 6).
More pressing however, are the ways in which a Triadic model
fails to tell the whole story of the Diaspora by giving no space
to the many intricate relationships that exist between diaspora
cultures themselves.
The experience of the African Diaspora does not consist
solely of the relationship of dispersed Africans to Africa, and it
never has. Equally if not more impactful has always been the relationship
between the former sites of colonial enslavement. We
have seen the power of these relationships as they have shaped
our whole retelling of the history of Pan-Africanism. They
inspired Henry Sylvester Williams to hold the first conference,
filled Alain Locke’s New Negro, with the thoughts and creativity
of Caribbean authors alongside their African American counterparts,
and turned Harlem’s “Renaissance” into the Negritude
of the Francophone Diaspora. To mistake the uniqueness
of Diaspora cultures for simple deviations from a supposed
African original is to miss the beauty of what these cultures have
become and what they have and continue to mean and contribute
to one another. It’s also part of a larger question and potentially
indicative of an even larger problem. AC

PINPOINT
Artists & Artisans | Sounds | Who Are You

ARTISTS & ARTISANS
Jessica Jean-Baptiste:
The Question is in the Answer
What is art for? Where does it come from and where
does it go? What do we need it for and what does it
actually do? For sculptor Jessica Jean-Baptiste, art is
the answer to an unasked question, the incomplete
solution to a problem she’s never quite fully articulated.
And that’s okay, because in the tension and space
between question and answer, her hands shape plaster
and clay, “making something out of nothing,” and
giving us answers that we didn’t know we’d asked for.
Reflecting on her creative path to see when it was that
she started asking these questions — or when she
stopped — takes her back to her Haiti, where she was
born. “It definitely started there,” she remembers. “I
grew up playing with my sister, with anything that
we found, just going outside and finding leaves to play
with — creating stuff out of nothing. That's where that
sort of creativity stems from in me. And once I came
here, it just kind of continued in small ways.”
Words by Bryan Mason
Photos furnished by Jessica Jean-Baptiste
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“Here,” is New York, where the Portau-Prince
native moved when she was just
9 years old, following the loss of her father.
Arriving in winter, the cold, the chaos
of the trip and the sudden need to learn
English were all obstacles to overcome,
but they weren’t her biggest problem.
“My first meal wasn't very good at all,” she
laughs, recalling a dish of rice and green
beans. “And I remember the beans were
kind of like sweet, and I'm like, “Beans are
not supposed to taste like this.” Her first
encounter with New York’s Chinese food
didn’t go much better. The ribs were even
sweeter than the beans. “For Haitians, meat
is not supposed to be sweet,” she remarks.
“Ever. So food wasn't really good for me
until my mom started cooking.”
Though the cuisine was challenging,
much of the rest of life flowed more
naturally. “I picked up English really
quickly,” she shrugs. “I guess when you're
nine you just kind of pick up things fast,”
though in the process she lost her hold on
French. A model student, Jessica found she
had the same quick facility with a number
of other subjects, especially art. “My
teachers loved me,” she says, “And I was
really passionate about all the art classes
that I was taking.” When she wasn’t in art
class, she was still creating, doodling in
books or sketching tattoos for friends at
lunch. Art was calling her, but she wasn’t
sure she wanted to answer.
“I think I may have been, happier when
I was just doing art, and not thinking about
what an artist is,” she muses. “I think you're
just more free that way, freer to just kind of
explore and play. When the moment comes
where you start thinking, ‘Oh, man, like,
I'm an artist now, with like, the capital A,
I think it can create a lot of stress.” Also at
work were familiar tropes about what was
and wasn’t possible for a girl from Haiti —
warnings that came from within as well as
without.
“Coming from my background it
wasn't something that I could imagine
myself doing,” the artist confesses. “So for
a long time, while I realized that I was really
passionate about this, I was getting to that
age where you had to pick a career and I
was like, ‘I can't choose this. I can't be the
artist with the capital A.’” Yet after a brief
detour into culinary arts, Jessica relented
to herself, applying and gaining acceptance
to the Parsons School of Design at The New
School.
At Parson’s, the fascination with
painting and drawing that captivated
Jessica in high school, gave way to a new
passion: sculpting. “I love working with my
hands,” she explains. “I used to draw the
figure and my next interest was sculpting
the figure. Working in 3D was just the next
step for me.” But learning the techniques of
a sculptor was only the first step. A larger
question was forming, waiting to be asked.
As she immersed herself in the techniques
of the artist, Jessica naturally
became equally steeped in the aesthetic
of her school, and the Eurocentric subtext
that accompanied it. It was a process that
she can only see clearly in retrospect. “I
didn't even think about it,” she laments.
“I just accepted it. Everything was looked
at and judged and critiqued through the
lens of European design and art.” As her
education became her aesthetic, it colored
not only in what she created, but how she
saw the creations of others. “That's the lens
that I began to see through, to judge good
work. I would find myself thinking, “Oh,
this isn't as sophisticated,’ when something
wasn’t in the Eurocentric type of design.”
Looking back now, she realizes how
complete the process had been, and how
early it started. “Right away, I guess I was
beginning to be brainwashed. And I was
just the good student who saw, listened, interpreted
a lot of those ideas, and began to
embed them in my work as my own.”
issue eleven 105

ARTISTS & ARTISANS
While learning to define herself as an artist with a capital A, Jessica’s education had become
a process of internalization without analysis. And though school was the site of her inculcation, it
would also provide inspiration for her to begin questioning again. “I was a senior, and I had to pick
a capstone project,” she says. “I was lucky in that my my teacher, right away, wanted to know about
my background, and he nudged me towards a project that required more deep-dive research into my
own culture.”
The realization that she wasn’t making space for who she was in her work revealed to Jessica just
how much she’d needed to. After that, there was no stopping her. “I just dove right in,” she says. “I
took a trip to Haiti, I visited all of these different artisans who were working with metals and ceramics
and doing just incredible work.”
Making the turn towards her own culture in her work and her expression has helped Jessica to
unify the disconnected strands of herself, connecting the artist she is today with the little girl in Haiti
who ran and played with her sister, creating worlds out of leaves. “I really feel like I would not be who
I am today if it wasn't for Haiti,” she says, “if I did not have those experiences, because they're just so
vivid and such a part of who I am. Haiti is in everything that I do, but I can't pinpoint where it is. Every
little thing that I touch, and every little thing that I create; in my being, in everything that I am and
how I create, and how I think, I just know that it's there.” The process of reconnecting was revelatory
and healing, two elements Jessica strives to achieve through her work today and in her evolving
approach to sculpting.
“I think in a sculpture, the gesture is super important,” she begins, describing the goals and approaches
that govern her work. “That sort of essence of what you're trying to get at or the movement
that you're trying to capture. That's first and foremost the most important thing, so that's that's what
I try to do in my work.” That sense of essence or intonation that she works to evoke is a tricky thing.
Played too abstractly it can become unrecognizable, but in a sculpture that’s too realistic, it can get
lost in the details, which leaves Jessica in a place of constant editing. “At the moment my work is
probably closer to abstract,” she reflects. “It's definitely not hyper realistic, because I did not have this
specific person in front of me that I wanted. I was sculpting someone that I created from my mind.”
The most recent results of Jessica’s imaginings are Jamal and Keisha, a pair of plaster busts that
she’s creating in limited editions, as the inaugural artist for AphroChic’s art shop on Wayfair and
Perigold. Less representations of specific people, these highly evocative pieces are more amalgams
of the parts of ourselves the artist feels that we too often overlook. “Keisha has the most peaceful expression
on her face,” she smiles. "She’s all calm, cool, collected Black feminine power.” And in Jamal
she sees that, “he’s this strong Black male. But he's also soft and caring and insightful and smart.
He has all those amazing characteristics that so many Black men have, and we just don't talk about
them that often. My dad was like that.” In showing us the parts of ourselves that we don’t typically see
reflected, Jessica hopes not only to fill in the gaps of how we see ourselves, but give us the full range of
options as we consider who we want to be. “I need to be a little bit more like Keisha myself sometimes
when I'm stressed out,” she laughs.
A Black man without conflict, a Black woman at peace. Simple images, yet revolutionary in their
rejection of the story of us as it is commonly told to us — sometimes by ourselves. The challenges of
an internalized, Eurocentric view that Jessica has worked to overcome in her evolution as an artist
are not unique to art. And the work of untangling it from our perspectives is not hers alone. “At this
phase, I think that if I'm going to create any art, I want it to stem from that place of undoing a little bit,
a little bit at a time, and just really embracing, embracing and learning and opening myself up even
more, because I do think so much more will come out of my work.” AC
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issue eleven 107

SOUNDS
Music to Free Your Spirit: John Tyler Reimagines
the Music of the Moment
Making the music of the moment is not just about topping the charts
or changing the game. It’s not becoming a trend or a meme or a mood.
It’s music that goes beyond the typical to place a lens on society, shine
a light on its tragedies and its ills and inspire us all to march further,
do better or just hang on.
As Black people, we’ve seen a lot of moments, and our
music has always been there for us. Whether it was a hum
in the fields, jazz on Saturday, gospel on Sunday, or the
blues every day of the week. Whether we were being told to
fight the power, asked what’s going on, or commanded to say
it loud, our music has been there to give us what we need
to make it to the other side. And while we are still waiting
patiently, eagerly, even desperately for our chart toppers
and game changers to take a serious run at COVID, climate
change, or any of the million other “moments” that are
shaping our lives and weighing us down right now, John
Tyler has another idea.
At 22 years old, the Baltimore-born and -based
artist has an impressive array of accomplishments,
most recently playing on stage with Robert Glasper and
Dave Chapelle. As a solo creator, he has several albums
to his credit, as well as having produced more than 100
DMV-area artists. He is also the founder of the Love Groove
Festival, an annual showcase for Baltimore’s emerging
musical and visual artists, combining performances, educational
workshops and networking opportunities — that
Words by Bryan Mason
Photos furnished by John Tyler
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SOUNDS
he started while in high school.
In his new album, Music to Free Your
Spirit, a 5-track expansion of the single,
Free Spirit, John found himself, like all of us
in the 2020s, at the bottom of a seemingly
endless pile of worries, stresses, and
doubts. Like so many of us, he responded
by holding on tighter, putting as much
effort into making believe that everything
was fine as he was into trying to dig his way
out. And like it does for so many of us, it
worked — until it didn’t.
“One night I had a sudden panic attack
in the middle of my sleep because I had so
much overwhelming my brain,” the artist
remembers. “It was so bad that I thought I
was going to die.” The next day began with
a revolutionary act: he decided to rest. On
the first day of his imposed vacation, John
began to make music. By its end, he had
produced the nearly 12-minute long Free
Spirit, in its entirety. “All of the production
and my personal vocals were recorded in
one day,” he says. “It felt amazing because,
prior to the creation of the project, I hadn't
made music in months.” A few days later he
created Music To Free Your Spirit, which he
calls, “an instrumental project made for relaxation,
meditation, contemplation, and
reflection.”
Describing his music as a fusion of
jazz, R&B, rock, and indie influences,
elements of each can be heard in different
measure as the album moves from one
track to the next. The music is atmospheric,
meant to fill the background rather than
command attention, designed to facilitate
moments of peace rather than stir the
emotions. In his approach to the music of
the moment, John Tyler digs through his
stress and his pain to find the calm at the
eye of the storm while leaving a path for us
to follow.
The 21st century still needs its Billie
Holidays and Nina Simones, artists willing
to risk themselves to use their art to
confront society with the truth as we see it
while giving us the validation of having our
most pressing problems, questions, and
experiences reflected in song. But in these
days of upheaval, where self-care itself is
increasingly becoming an act of defiance
(and maybe it always was), a moment’s
peace can mean just as much.
Look out for John’s upcoming album,
Men Do Cry, coming out later in 2023. AC
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issue eleven 111

WHO ARE YOU
Name: Dr. Kerry A. Foster Sr.
Based In: Philadelphia, PA
Occupation: Educator / Mentor / Therapist /
Comedian / Minister / Martial Arts Instructor
Currently: I’ve returned to teaching — my
purpose in life. I teach mathematics in a
private school that I helped build 30 years ago.
Simultaneously, I am back in the dojo teaching
martial arts. I teach from the perspective
that math, like martial arts, is a language of
self-expression, a journey of introspection
and environmental awareness tied to
learning, reading, and knowing before doing.
I’m entering a graduate program with the
hope of earning my Ph.D in mathematics by
age 70. This is exciting because though I have
earned BA, MTS, MDiv, and DMin degrees, I
was once a high school dropout.
Black Culture Is: A collective sharing of
values, norms, and beliefs — the universal
involvement, acknowledgement, acceptance,
and affirmation of all human life. It includes
everyone’s participation and gifts to
humanity: music fashion, arts and sciences,
along with athletics, education, poetry,
politics, religion, and more. It comes with
the high honor of the responsibility to teach,
to protect, and to pursue a better future. It
holds us accountable to welcome and embrace
life and the living — accepting that everyone
was born with something the world needs, to
affirm that everyone needs to be cared for, to
grow and excel authentically.
112 aphrochic

THE KEISHA
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114 aphrochic

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issue eleven 115