Nancy Prophet- I Will Not Bend an Inch- Museum Attendance

When I visited the exhibition Nancy Elizabeth Prophet: I Will Not Bend an Inch at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, one piece drew me in more than any other—Portrait of Nancy Elizabeth Prophet (1932) by Hazard Durfee. It’s a simple graphite drawing, showing Prophet in profile with her hair slicked back and her face calm, almost serene. At first, it looked quiet—just pencil on paper—but the longer I stood there, the more I felt the quiet was saying something powerful.

There’s a stillness in the portrait that carries weight. Prophet’s gaze is turned downward, but she doesn’t seem defeated. Instead, she looks self-contained, like someone holding her own thoughts close. It made me think about what it meant for Prophet, a Black woman artist in the early 20th century, to be seen in this way—through another artist’s eyes, with care and respect. The wall label mentioned that Durfee knew Prophet personally and that their relationship was one of mutual admiration. That detail changed how I saw the drawing. It wasn’t just a portrait; it was a gesture of recognition, a moment of friendship preserved in art.

Standing there, I imagined Prophet sitting for this drawing—perhaps tired, perhaps proud, but certainly aware of being seen. There’s tenderness in how Durfee captures her, yet also strength. It reminded me that resistance doesn’t always look like shouting or fighting. Sometimes it looks like composure. Like showing up. Like holding your head steady even when the world doesn’t make it easy.

As a Spelman student, that quiet strength resonated deeply with me. Prophet’s legacy feels close here, not just in the art on the walls but in the spirit of perseverance and purpose that Spelman teaches us. Her portrait reminded me that grace and resilience can exist together—and that being seen with dignity is, in itself, a form of power.

- Loren Jones