The title story from Virginia Hamilton’s 1986 collection of folktales, The People Could Fly, explores the legend of the flying Africans. These supernatural figures, who have appeared in narratives across the dispersion of people whose homeland is Africa or the diaspora, are often understood as a reflection of a longing to return “home.” In these instances, home can be many places: ancestral lands, the afterlife, or some fictional space associated with the possibility of freedom. In some contexts, the flying African is seen as a spiritual or religious icon, while in others they find ways to fight injustice through their flight. This exhibition borrows Hamilton’s language in an effort to explore connections between African diasporic spiritual and religious practices and a collective desire for liberation.  

Exploring a range of visual and material culture, The People Could Fly surveys art that represents American, Caribbean, and African spiritual traditions while simultaneously intertwining themes of Black liberty across time and space. Together, these works understand the multifaceted range of Black religious traditions as journeys to a present or eventual spiritual home where a shared freedom can be enjoyed. Exploring the impact of these cultural phenomena, this exhibition will traverse an expansive range of traditions, including indigenous African spirituality, Voodoo, Islam, and Christianity. Ultimately, these works not only honor the multifaceted nature of Black religions, but also showcase a shared belief in the unalienable rights of Black life.

Guest Curated by Qiaira Riley, Graduate Research Assistant, Museums