Starring Stephanie McFarlane!

One of my best friends / family members Stephanie McFarlane makes her on-screen debut in this independent Black film! She graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Theatre in 2010. Stephanie has an attractive spirit that shows in her acting and is sure to be evident on screen in this film titled "For the Love of You". Unfortunately, I'm not in Atlanta to view it, but if you are, please check it out!

...young Black artistry at it's finest...take heed.

#saturdaynight

sweetgrass basketmaking / not all was lost

The Gullah tradition of making baskets along the Lowcountry region of the US (from which my dad's dad's family originates) has been alive for over 400 years on this side of the Atlantic. Each basket is made by hand by women and men who have been taught the unique technique by preceding generations. The distinguishing style of weaving using palmetto leaves, long pine needles, bulrush, and sweetgrass is identical to the techniques used by Fulani, Mende, and Mandinka peoples of modern day Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea (serving as a testament to the perseverance of African culture in the midst of slavery/attempted cultural genocide). Though these baskets are often prized for their beautiful artistry, they are still used as everyday household objects among many Gullah families, as they are in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.