The “Fabric of Leadership” school mural at Ember Chart School in Bedford Stuyvesant explores leadership rooted in “Sankofa.” Sankofa means reflection, remembering, and giving respect to the past, even as we lead into the future.
This spring, Thrive Collective worked with 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade Ember students after school to explore how leadership helps all of us move forward, and means leaving no one behind. With Ember’s emphasis on cultural lineage as a necessary piece of understanding our relationship to the world, Teaching Artist and Art Director Abby Walsh was inspired by story quilts as an important tradition in American storytelling. Ancient Egyptian imagery very much echoes these design sensibilities, as do elaborate textiles and deep cultural ties.
The Fabric of Leadership (2019)
This project provided a unique opportunity to collaborate with two of New York City’s historically great after school youth providers already working on the campus: The Partnership for Children and New York Edge. The children brought the creative inspiration and energy to drive the project.
Ember Charter School: Production
Birgitta Dickerson
Thank you for making this happen and for celebrating and sharing such a vital and regenerative program.