Red, White & Baldwin

Kenya: Alright, hello, habari gani. Such a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Kenya Baleech Alkebu, or you can call me Kenya. Let me answer a few questions about the quilt. The name of the quilt is Red, White & Baldwin. I guess, you might be asking, “Why this subject?” Well, the way I see it, James Baldwin is a champion of free speech. And his international prominence muffled the drumbeat of those who thought ex-slaves inferior, giving me, a neo-slave, reason and cause to live out loud, to come out from the shadows. It’s an honor to celebrate the legacy of James Baldwin.

Why the colors? The colors here represent the witness or witnesses to diversity in crisis. James Baldwin, of course, taught of the subject of color...[Louisiana Department of Corrections facility recording: “This call is subject to recording and monitoring. This is a call from an offender…Louisiana Department of Corrections facility.”] And it’s one that has occupied the thought and effort of alchemists, scientists, writers, philosophers, and psychologists, not to mention art enthusiasts, for centuries. It’s by no means that straight forward. The colors chosen is central to all we do.

The audio transcription above has been lightly edited for clarity.