Nov. 17, 2022
Dear Campus Community,
Over the summer, CSUCI partnered with the Juneteenth Celebration of Ventura County Committee and the Community Advocacy Coalition (CAC) to support the local Juneteenth event, which has been held annually for more than 30 years. Through our sponsorship support for the CAC, CSUCI received a unique painting from nationally renowned African American mixed-media artist Milton 510 Bowens.
Part of “The People’s Art,” an exclusive Juneteenth limited-series collection, CSUCI’s piece representing the life of Isabel de Olvera “broke the mold,” Milton Bowens shared during a reception prior to the Juneteenth Celebration. Milton Bowens hand-painted the piece, and, because de Olvera’s story was so inspiring, he incorporated a personal touch, a white doley surrounding the icon to represent his grandmother.
De Olvera was born in Querétaro, Mexico, in the late 1500s to an African father and an Indian mother. As a young, unmarried, free mixed-race woman in 1600, she sought permission and protection from the mayor of Querétaro to join an upcoming expedition to New Spain, which today includes several U.S. states from California to Florida. She asked the mayor to provide her with written documentation proving she was a free woman. Because she was Black, she knew that men she encountered on her journey could otherwise claim her as property.
Her journey is among the earliest recorded instances of Black people fighting for liberty in North America, an act of resistance that is repeated throughout history. As she wrote to the mayor of Querétaro, “I therefore request your grace to accept this affidavit, which shows that I am free and not bound by marriage or slavery. I request that a properly certified and signed copy be given to me in order to protect my rights, and that it carry full legal authority. I demand justice (Southwest Contemporary, 2018, June 29, para. 3).”
I invite you to visit the lobby of the John Spoor Broome Library to view the mixed-media painting of de Olvera and two additional pieces of Milton Bowens’ artwork that CSUCI acquired from this special collection.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President
Reference: Southwest Contemporary. (2018, June 29). New Mexico women: Isabel de Olvera. Retrieved from https://southwestcontemporary.com/isabel-de-olvera/