Backstory
For the bicentennial of the state of Alabama, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church commissioned a set of hand fans that members could use, keep, and feel proud of objects that would represent both the church and its legacy. More than a functional piece, the fan became a canvas to honor history, faith, and Black Southern worship.

Historical Grounding
Located steps from the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Dexter Avenue is a sacred site within the Civil Rights Movement. Founded in 1877, it is the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began his first full-time pastorship, leading mass meetings that helped organize and sustain the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the earliest and most influential victories of nonviolent protest in the movement. Because of this, Dexter served and serves as a meeting place of faith, resistance, and collective memory.

Personal Origin of the Concept
The concept for In Remembrance of Me began with a childhood memory. Growing up, I would visit Dexter and sit in the sanctuary, always noticing the table in front of the pastor’s pulpit engraved with the words: “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Those words stayed with me. For this project, I wanted to explore the rituals within the Black church that we carry out in remembrance of God and the Holy Spirit. Moments where community, faith, and practice meet. Also, wanting to pay homage to gospel music by putting lyric excerpts to songs that hold meaning to each theme.

The Four Scenes: Black Church Rituals as Living Memory
Each fan design centers on one of four key practices, all of which hold deep meaning in the Black community:

Altar Call
The altar call is an open invitation and an intimate moment when people come forward to pray, surrender, or rededicate their lives. In many Black churches, this is where tears fall, hands are laid, and personal transformation has public witness. It represents vulnerability, choice, and the courage to step into something new.
Communion
Communion is a ritual of remembrance and unity, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ shared among the congregation. In the Black church, it often carries layers of history linking biblical remembrance to ancestral endurance. It’s a moment of quiet reflection, collective gratitude, and spiritual reset.
Marriage / Union
Marriage within the Black church is both covenant and celebration. It honors love as a sacred commitment, witnessed and upheld by community. Beyond romance, it represents stability, legacy, and the building of Black families and futures under God’s covering.
Praise Dance
Praise dance is worship in motion. A form of dance that uses the body as an instrument of prayer and praise. In the Black church, it’s often performed by liturgical or praise dance teams, blending choreography, mime, and spirit-led movement. It turns music into storytelling: every step, gesture, and expression honoring God, remembering what God has brought us through, and testifying without saying a word.
Commission & Community Support
Alongside the commissioned designs, we released the fans for sale to the broader community. Half of the proceeds were donated back to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church to support needs arising from pandemic-related losses, allowing the project to not only honor the church’s legacy but also pour back into its present.

Roles: Creative/Art Director, Stylist