Nancy Prophet: I Will Not Bend An Inch

 

  

Nancy Prophet: I Will Not Bend An Inch Museum Visit 

I visited the exhibition Nancy Prophet: I Will Not Bend An Inch at Spelman College multiple times. The museum was filled with works from Prophet, including her tools and things related to her. I loved one of the pieces dedicated to her, it was the Letter and Hand-drawn Diagram to President Albert E. Manley from Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, dated November 18, 1958. This letter was heartbreaking in a way. The Prophet wrote the letter to Spelman’s president, Albert E. Manley, regarding missing tools and materials, requesting assistance in locating them. Here was not just a letter, but a living trace of someone’s thoughts, mind, and worry. I noticed the typewritten font, the blue paper she used, and a small typo Prophet made. It was as if the Prophet wasn’t just communicating information, but leaving behind a part of herself. I felt like I was intruding on a private conversation, yet also being invited into history. The letter carried energy, not just the words, but the emotions Nancy Prophet carried. Prophet was an extraordinary sculptor who faced many obstacles as a Black woman artist in the early 20th century. She studied in Paris during the 1920s and 30s, where she found more acceptance than in America, yet still struggled with poverty and limited opportunities. Her sculptures, particularly her portrait busts and figures carved in wood, show such dignity and strength. And many of those sculptures were displayed in the museum. 

-Nowshin Shithi