Rosie the Advocate
June 2020
I met Dr. Amara Enyia while photographing a panel discussion on women leaders at Adler University in early March 2020. Dr. Enyia immediately stood out to me as she challenged the audience to "have the difficult conversations regarding race/politics within your families, inner groups and circles” and added, “The world will only move forward with those discussions happening." I stayed after for a quick chat to commend her bold and courageous charge. While I immediately had her in mind for the Modern Rosie project, I felt a need to learn more about her before approaching her to participate. It didn’t take long to admire her impressive advocacy and leadership as a Chicago west sider and her influence on the international stage.
Early that June, I decided to reconnect, share my Modern Rosie project’s artist statement, and ask if she’d be interested in being a Rosie. Given her powerful leadership and influential voice, she was an ideal candidate. She was very receptive, saying, “given the current social climate, I am excited and honored to be a part of this project.”
As with each Modern Rosie, I informed her that she should research and reflect on the persona of Rosie the Riveter. With this being a contemporary Rosie series honoring the hard work and contributions women leaders make to our currrent economy and society, the only required link to past Rosies was that she wear a red bandana.
We set the location near her west side home under the Green Line L tracks. The day was perfect. She arrived wearing this stunning solid black outfit and bold red shoes. In addition, her necklace, sourced in South Africa by a dear friend of hers who owns The Silver Room in Hyde Park, was chosen to represent her commitment to Pan-Africanism.
Dr. Enyia boldly stands as a fierce advocate for the people, community and world around her, facing life’s traffic. Determined to engage with, and positively impact, the direction of the forces moving around her. Challenging people to slow down, think, and reflect on the routes we automatically follow every day. Rosie the Advocate inspires us to consider our patterns and embrace a different path toward a better future.