Echoes of the Unmappable
Echoes of the Unmappable honors the myriad ways that fugitive, maroon, and freedom-seeking Black ancestors activated practices of land stewardship, mutual aid organizing, re-wilding, and kinship to subvert the algorithms of empire. In a world where narratives of Juneteenth are often diluted or distorted, this installation seeks to re-center the practices of Black ancestors who re-conceptualized what freedom meant in words, action, and in ways of being.
The exhibition pulls from Jessica Valoris’ research into these legacies in Maryland (and beyond) for the How We Be Free: Black Fugitive Study Kit, a project she is currently cultivating within her community. The study kit contains a set of playing cards, dice, and booklet with quotes, prompts, and historical context. The study kit and the installation highlight the freedom-seeking practices of Black people during slavery and its aftermath.
Through Echoes of the Unmappable , visitors are encouraged to actively engage with ongoing legacies of Black liberation and consider their own place in the narrative of freedom and justice. Reflecting on how they can contribute to movements for liberation in their own communities (ie. abolition, reparations, land back, mutual aid, ceasefire, etc.) they are urged to let these histories inspire them to challenge oppressive systems, embody collective solidarity, and work towards creating a world of peace, justice, and care.
Check out the zine below to learn more about Black fugitive histories of Montgomery County, MD.
