This Story of American Racism Couldn’t Be Told in the 1970s

ZORA’s interview with 77-year-old Howardena Pindell about her new exhibition ‘Rope/Fire/Water’

“Pindell’s artwork comes with a warning label for its graphic material, but sadly, none of the material itself has been imagined or self-constructed. Instead, it’s been pulled from the historians and writers who documented the Jim Crow era, as well as personal memories from Pindell’s earlier years. It’s the same material that selectively has been omitted from our textbooks, our coursework, and, over time, our minds. But the reminder, no matter how gruesome it presents, is one that will stay with exhibit-goers forever.” —

Brianna Holt

Read Holt’s interview with Pindell in its entirety on ZORA.

The Story of American Racism This Artist Couldn’t Tell in the 1970s