Manifest: Thirteen Colonies Exhibition Conversation

Wendel A. White, Distinguished Professor of Art, Stockton University; 2021 Robert Gardner Fellow in Photography, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University In conversation with William E. Williams, Audrey A. and John L. Dusseau Professor in the Humanities; Professor of Fine Arts, Haverford College

Visual artist Wendel A. White photographs objects, documents, and books held in public collections to explore the complexities of American history, slavery, abolition, concepts of race, and Black life and culture. In this program, marking the upcoming exhibition of his work at the Peabody Museum, White engaged in a conversation with photographer William E. Williams, whose own images of architecture, landscapes, and African American historical sites, examine similar topics. Both artists shared their approaches to documenting complex and painful aspects of U.S. history. They highlighted marginalized or overlooked Black and African American stories of resilience, ingenuity, and agency and discussed reconnecting consciousness and memories to places and objects that signify the lives and experiences of Black communities.