The Sangamon River: derived its name from the Pottawatomie Indian word Sain-guee-mon meaning literally ‘where there is plenty to eat’)
My dear friend and artistic collaborator, Nicole Anderson-Cobb and I, are embarking on a 3-week journey to dig deep into the roots of this place and make connections to today. This piece is in line with an ongoing project of mine – The Arachne Project – and here, we are asking…
What are our (black folks) historical relationships to water and the woods in the United States of America? What hinders black folks from taking advantage of available nature preserves in this region? What is the invitation (or lack thereof) to folks of color in Central Illinois? What is required to access the park? What role must Allerton Park and Retreat Center play in making a safe space for black folks? How do we “value history” and “sustain and promote the legacy of Robert Allerton Park” a space, a sanctuary dare we say, for communing with nature in a harried world and examine its threads within the fabric of a system that privileged white men and displaced indigenous peoples?
Who are the gods?
What are the lies?
This project is funded in part by Allerton Park and Retreat Center, The Puffin Foundation and Women’s Project Theatre.