EDITOR’S NOTE: In the pews of Black Christian churches across Memphis, church matriarchs hold their legacies of care with a unique resolve. In action, it looks like nurturing communities and movements and building futures. Part of its form is seen in their ornamental headpieces and the gem-like sweets well supplied in their pocketbooks. Photographer Ariel J. Cobbert’s project is a visual meditation on gratitude, memory and care.
Ariel J. Cobbert is a visual artist in Memphis. This project was inspired by works in Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham’s Righteous Discontent The Women’s Movement in the Black Baptist Church, 1880-1920, photographer Michael Cunningham’s work on church matriarchs: Crowns, and Alyssia Burton Steele’s Delta Jewels. Contact Ariel on her website, arieljcobbert.com.
This is homegrown journalism, and it’s powered by you.
Stories like this are possible because of readers like you. When you donate today, your gift will be tripled, up to $1,000 per gift, thanks to generous matching support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Partner Fund. Help us unlock $5,000 in matching funds and sustain impactful, homegrown journalism rooted in Memphis.
Donate today to maximize your impact and help us hold power to account.
This story is brought to you by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit newsroom focused on poverty, power and policy in Memphis. Support independent journalism by making a tax-deductible donation today. MLK50 is also supported by these generous donors.