Reflections in Clay: In Celebration of Black History Month
Clay Art Center student Dale Rascoe reflects on her family’s history and what it means to her to celebrate Black History Month and Kwanzaa with clay.
Students from all walks of life come to Clay Art Center to find joy and renewal through clay - it’s a huge part of what makes our community vibrant and strong. We treasure the opportunities we have to celebrate together and learn from one another, and we are so grateful for our community members who willingly share of themselves and their stories. Below, Dale Rascoe shares her memories of her father, Zephaniah, and what the Kwanzaa Unity Cup workshop this past December might have meant to him.
“My father, Zephaniah Rascoe was born circa 1910 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was one of eight siblings. Zeph’s formal schooling was intermittent; he worked on a tobacco field from a young age, helping to provide for his parents and family. He was a man of few words, often stoic, and a sustained conversation with him was a true gift - and a shock.
“During his final years, he witnessed the inauguration of the first Black President of the United States, Barack Obama. I remember our conversation about it; the incredulity in my voice, the quiet wonder in his. He offered a slight smile—a profound gesture from him—as we contemplated that 2008 epoch.
“When my father was coming up, the concepts of pride in oneself and the belief in an immediate better life were not in songs on the radio, in plays, or on in television programs. But then, in my own lifetime, Kwanzaa emerged. My father was not religious - neither is Kwanzaa. Its tangible purpose—rooted in family and community—would have upturned his mustache, just a little. I believe he would have been drawn to it, if for no other reason than it had a purpose that was tangible and involved family.
“It was in that spirit that I participated in the Kwanzaa workshop here at Clay Art Center in December, with the very sharp Vicky Youngman as our instructor. Alongside other community members, we crafted a Kwanzaa Unity Cup—which is good for all of us at all times. It is now February, Black History Month.
“As I restore and rejuvenate through my art here at the Clay Art Center, I can almost envision my dad having a stoic smile on how clay—which came from the earth, similar to the land where he picked tobacco—is now a part of my life.
“So, as I reflect on clay, I am thrilled that dedicated individuals - such as our Community Arts & Offsite Programs Manager, Brian Barry - are able to provide fine programs for our community, like this workshop in clay on the subject of Kwanzaa.”
