ReMemories of Blue Mash, 2023
ReMemories of Blue Mash is a collaborative community ritual that honors local histories of marronage. Blue Mash, located in Gaithersburg, MD, was a marshland during slavery. It was a space where self-liberating Black people escaped to and found refuge. Histories of marronage exist throughout the diaspora. After emancipation, the Blue Mash area was stewarded by a Free Black Town named Zion. Through a collaborative process, ReMemories of Blue Mash invited a group of Black organizers and cultural workers to be in creative study and reflection around these histories. A beautiful ritual emerged that took place at Blue Mash and honored legacies of collective care and resistance.
Director: Jessica Valoris
Cinematographer: Katiana Weems
Sonic Mastermind: Asha Santee
Collaborating Artists: Ahmane' Glover, Asha Santee, Ashley Valoris, Deondre Rice, Derrick Brown, Dion Harrison, Iyanu Bishop, Je'Kendria Trahan, Kenneth Carroll, Camille Douglass, Camryn Douglass, Laquesha Barnes, Monisade Fabunmi, Neida Mbuia-Joao, Richael Faithful, Lyric Miller, Vee Msanii, Brittney Washington, Carre Adams, Katie Petit, Mazaré Rogers, Ọmọlará Williams McCallister.
Special thanks to Alternate ROOTS, Tour de Force, Carol Valoris, Ashley Valoris, Surafel Tesfaye, Carre Adams, and Anthony Cohen.