The Survival of Ancestral Histories Despite Trauma and Erasure

The multilayered title They Are With Us speaks to both spiritual presence and cultural reclamation. For Patrisse Cullors and many in the Los Angeles Yoruba diaspora community, the work also represents a powerful act of remembrance and revival, acknowledging ancestral histories that survived despite the traumas of enslavement and cultural erasure. Curator Erica Jones shares how this exhibition embodies a broader movement among Black communities reclaiming Yoruba traditions as living heritage.

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  • Erica Jones wearing glasses, a black shirt and white bead necklace

    Erica

    Jones

    Senior Curator of African Arts and Manager of Curatorial Affairs at the Fowler Museum at UCLA