Artist Statement
"I interviewed Howard for my job last year about his work related to regenerative agriculture and food justice. He said, "We can sow seeds every day. Some will bloom tomorrow, some in 100 years." Our actions today lay the groundwork for the landscape of the next day, next year, and next century. When I think about who has had the most influence in our long history of equitable health and food, it’s women of color. I think about Indigenous and African women who braided seeds into their hair as an act of cultural and self-preservation, knowing that if they could grow their own food, they could survive. I think about my mother teaching me Chinese medicinal foods, such as red dates, white fungus, and ginseng, to warm my body in the winter months. I think about the women of color in academia who continue to challenge conventional research methods, shift conversations, and center underrepresented communities in institutions historically barred from them. As a public health researcher and artist, these are the women who inspire me to push research and art towards justice by acknowledging historic oppressions and centering women’s knowledge and experiences. The UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has been a space where my voice as an artist, a researcher, and an individual has been supported and accepted."
Created by Isabel Lu (2022).