Find it in the classifieds

You know how Black people sometimes (still) have to remind others that we don’t all look alike? That came to mind as I pored over colonial-era classified ads to recapture self-liberated people (“runaway slaves,” that is).

Newspapers used the same sketches over and over, like stamps; sometimes the image used was of a man, regardless of who had escaped. The accompanying text gave specifics of a person’s appearance. I used to find the image repetition degrading.

But it turns out the sameness and lack of detail makes it psychologically easier for me to work with them. It also amuses me to think of how Harriet Tubman exploited the timing of the ads’ publication. She famously launched escape missions on Saturdays if possible, to gain a head start before the ads appeared the following Monday.

Of course, there’s “more to our history than Egypt and slavery.” Artnet currently has a list of Black History Month educational resources. They provide a welcome antidote to the “they all look alike to me” mindset. As for my collage in progress, stick around for next week’s post: that’s when I’ll explain why I chose to use these classified ad sketches.