This is my Grandmother's house (family house) in Clarksville, Virginia. The white cabinets belonged to my Great Grandmother - Ma Jones b. 1913 - and the wood stove belonged to my Granny - Irma Jones Carter. I used to sit in the kitchen around the wood stove with my Granny and put away dishes in Ma Jones white cabinet. These items hold such value to me because they represent the unbroken chain of Black womanhood that I descend from. 

As with many African American farmers and sharecroppers, Ma Jones and Granny spent time migrating, specifically between Virginia and North Carolina in their formative years. 

The story of African descendant people in the United States, especially African Americans, is layered with stories of forced migrations and a complex relationship to the concept of "home". I count it as a privilege to have a family house that holds generations worth of items that have feed us, warmed us, and served as sacred space for women to convene.

– Ariel Alford

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant