Legacy of the “N” Word during Black On Black’s 2017 exhibition BOBV2 at VAE.
Precious D. Lovell. Photo by Sally Van Gorder.
On Sunday, December 13 at 2 p.m., Raleigh-based artist Precious D. Lovell will discuss the origins of her work Legacy of the “N” Word: N-slaved, N-carcerated, N-sanity, N-destructible that was featured in 2017’s BOBV2 and why she felt it necessary to create a work studying the word. Using a straitjacket, cotton sack, and black hoodie, Lovell offers reflections about the term’s use, evoking thoughts of enslavement and a feeling like invincibility. The event is part of a series of convenings called No Study; No Celebration that looks at Black On Black Project's three titular exhibitions in the context of North Carolina's history. RSVP.
Words have legacies, and their meanings may migrate over time. The “N-Word,” a term whose use has been debated since its inception, has and has not migrated over time. In Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, Randall Kennedy writes that the word “has seeped into practically every aspect of American culture, from literature to political debates, from cartoons to song” and that the word even “cropped up in children’s rhymes.” Lovell confronts this “migration” in Legacy, challenging viewers to consider their own views on the word’s use.
The event will take place at Anchorlight in Raleigh, NC, and reflects on a decade of the Project’s work to nourish our cultural past, deepen our study, our understanding, and our connection.