This vibrant work on paper, part of the Forbidden Pages Collection, pays tribute to Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome—a children’s book that traces the many lives of Harriet Tubman and was banned in Duval County, Florida during the 2022–2023 school years. Layered across the composition are bold green numerals—978, 082344, 4298—suggesting ISBNs and cataloging systems.
A grid of plaid-like barcode patterns in golden yellows, deep reds, and cerulean blues occupies the center, structured yet erratic—symbolizing both record-keeping and resistance. The title of the book appears as fragmented type: “before SHE was harriet,” stretched across the top in uneven spacing that echoes silencing and rediscovery. Map fragments of Florida counties—including Hillsborough and Polk—anchor the work regionally, calling out the specific sites of suppression.
This print transforms bureaucratic tools of censorship—barcodes, classification numbers, and geographic data—into a bold visual protest that honors Tubman’s legacy and confronts modern erasure of Black history from children’s education.
This vibrant work on paper, part of the Forbidden Pages Collection, pays tribute to Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome—a children’s book that traces the many lives of Harriet Tubman and was banned in Duval County, Florida during the 2022–2023 school years. Layered across the composition are bold green numerals—978, 082344, 4298—suggesting ISBNs and cataloging systems.
A grid of plaid-like barcode patterns in golden yellows, deep reds, and cerulean blues occupies the center, structured yet erratic—symbolizing both record-keeping and resistance. The title of the book appears as fragmented type: “before SHE was harriet,” stretched across the top in uneven spacing that echoes silencing and rediscovery. Map fragments of Florida counties—including Hillsborough and Polk—anchor the work regionally, calling out the specific sites of suppression.
This print transforms bureaucratic tools of censorship—barcodes, classification numbers, and geographic data—into a bold visual protest that honors Tubman’s legacy and confronts modern erasure of Black history from children’s education.
2024
19” H x 12.5” W (48.26 x 31.75 centimeters)
Mixed media on 100 lbs. French paper
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