"Foreign-Born Woman of Color"

Destinations By Brian Wilkes

When I lived in New York, the Chinese sometimes referred to the Statue of Liberty as the "Jade Goddess". The original copper skin had formed a pale green patina after years of exposure to salt water, giving the impression of jade. As I was in the shadow of the statue in the harbor in 1986 for the centennial de-dedication, Our Lady of the Harbor was illuminated by a spectacular Grucci fireworks display. Inspired by the series by Peter Max, I worked here to capture the American ideal of an harmonious mutli-colored nation. When I first executed this, I simply titled it "Liberty". My own ancestors include Jamestown colonists, both free and indentured. Inspired later by the 2021 election victory of Jamaican-born Winsome Sears as lieutenant governor, I retitled it "Foreign-Born Woman of Color".