Eugene's Cove

Exhibition

On July 27, 1919, at a segregated beach on the south side of Chicago, 17-year-old Eugene Williams was stoned to death after floating across the imaginary color line in Lake Michigan. Building on the legend of an underwater paradise prevalent in African folklore, Eugene’s Cove imagines an underwater world where those we thought drowned actually sank and became something more. Drawing on mythology and historical events from across the Black diaspora, this exhibit celebrates the ways we reclaim water as a source of freedom.

Solo Exhibition at the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco, CA
On View: December 13, 2023 - March 3 2024

Special thanks to:

Marcela Adeze Okeke and Stephen Hamilton, for writing poetry in response to this series (printed on the walls of the exhibit)

Nnaemeka Ekwelum, co-editor of the recently published book from which the poems on the wall are excerpted

The crew members who assisted during photography and video shoots:

  • Brianna Mottey
  • Johnaé Strong
  • Gyzelle Garcia
  • Devin Itima

(See info on the book here)

(excerpt of the 9 min. video Sweet Eugene)