To My Ancestors

UHill Walls, Durham, North Carolina 2020

To My Ancestors was a collaborative initiative led by Claire Waterman, Kristen Brown Nalwaya, and John Mark Daniel for the mural festival UHill Walls in Durham, North Carolina. The mural was inspired by a poem of the same title by Vivette Jeffries-Logan, who is a member of the Occaneechi band of the Saponi Nation.

The mural depicts photos of current and past Durham residents collaged together on polytab. Durham community members responded to an open call to send pictures of themselves to be included in the mural as a means of safe collaboration during the pandemic.

Along with the poem by Jeffries-Logan, the mural is a call to remember those who came before us and their impact on our communities. It is an invitation to consider the story of the land that we live on and how it informs our daily lives.

To learn more about the process of creating the mural click here.

2020. Uhill Apartments, Durham, North Carolina. 9’x32.6’. Painted and designed with Kristen Brown and Claire Waterman.

“To My Ancestors”

by Vivette Jeffries-Logan

I hear your voices

I feel your presence

I know your pain

I acknowledge your existence

I know you are with me

Ever present

You give me strength when I think I have nothing left to give

I will give your struggle a voice

I will tell the world our story 

Your lives will be validated

Your cries will be heard

Your existence will not have been in vain 

I am learning the lessons, walking the path

Stepping in your footsteps

I am heeding your call

I will revive our songs, our language, our ceremonies, our dances

This will be passed on for future generations to share

We will survive

We did survive

I do this. 

I carry this bundle

to honor you.