Letter to Jamaica Girl
I find it very disturbing that my great, great grandmother has no name, despite being the black founder of a huge family. All my life I've only known her as Jamaica girl, and she is the person I have always identified with -so I decided to write her a letter. This is concealed within her body. there are no pictures of her, so she has no face, but she has many descendents, and the names of some of these are pinned to her torso. She is a form of Nkisi figure, has a bottle of sacred objects, and a skirt of iron. The tiny nails in her face bring her spirit to life.
I find it very disturbing that my great, great grandmother has no name, despite being the black founder of a huge family. All my life I've only known her as Jamaica girl, and she is the person I have always identified with -so I decided to write her a letter. This is concealed within her body. there are no pictures of her, so she has no face, but she has many descendents, and the names of some of these are pinned to her torso. She is a form of Nkisi figure, has a bottle of sacred objects, and a skirt of iron. The tiny nails in her face bring her spirit to life.
