Well, we've come to the end of Mixed Experience History Month for 2013. I hope that you've enjoyed the profiles and stories about the diverse and long past of folks in the Mixed experience. This year's profiles included a number of people with Native American heritage which was wonderful to learn about. In my own family we claim at least one Cherokee ancestor on my father's side, but all we have is a picture and no stories. Some of the stories that have really fascinated me were the stories of the performers: Mance Lipscomb, Illinois Jacquet, Manuel and Johnny Woodson. I started to wonder whether there is something inherent about growing up in the Mixed experience that draws one to performing or to the arts? I'd say yes in my own life. I grew up knowing that other people's "math" about me didn't add up: I wasn't half this or half that--I was a whole me with what might be considered a more complicated experience with two cultures and two languages at home. Making myself "seen" on stage and on the page meant something in particular to me.
I think I have more than a 100 profiles in this yearly series--and it's getting more and more difficult to find new people to profile--not because there weren't a lot of accomplished folks in the Mixed experience but because the stories have been erased. So a plea: if you have ideas for me please send them along--the only requirement is that the person must be deceased -- this is history after all!
Thanks again for tuning in as always. Thanks also to the wonderful Zerflin! My go-to graphic design firm and really good peeps. Zerflin designed the logo which features the amazing painter William H. Johnson. (If you need a graphic designer, please check them out!)
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Mixed Experience History Month is the annual blog post series created by New York Times best-selling author Heidi Durrow celebrating the history of the Mixed experience. Established in 2007, Mixed Experience History Month is an effort to highlight the long history of folks and events involved in the Mixed experience. Please look for more profiles of people, places and events of the Mixed experience every weekday of May at Lightskinned-ed Girl, the blog! Thanks for reading. And check out some of the previous year's profiles: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013. Copyright 2013.
