Her Inspiration:
Ms. Woods, the award winning artist said "when looking at that actual LIFE magazine cover, the image made me wonder about the man in the picture. What was his name, his wife, his children & grandchildren?
What was his experience like, as a Black Man in America?
He was someone's son, and whether visible or not, he probably had many scars of injustice and inequity to bear. These are all the things that ran through my mind and compelled me to open the magazine and read the article "1937," then begin the creation of "LIFE."
"LIFE" draws one in to ask these same questions about all 3 subjects. Who is "the grinning Negro" pushing the wheelbarrow. Who is "the breastfeeding Negro Mammy?" And who are the ill-informed who wrote, took pictures & published this article?"
Text (Middle): Nothing makes a Negro’s mouth water like a luscious, fresh-picked melon. Any colored “mammy” can hold a huge slice in one hand while holding her offspring in the other. Since the watermelon is 92% water, tremendous quantities can be eaten. What melons the Negroes do not consume will find favor with the pigs (below).
Text (Bottom): The watermelon starts its journey to market in an ordinary wheelbarrow, pushed by a grinning Negro. Picking Cuban Queens is no light work, for each melon weighs, on the average, about 30 pounds and the loaded barrow must be trundled across a soft, sandy field.
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