Black Lives Matter
The Church Fan Project : George Floyd Funeral, Houston Texas
George Floyd summoned all mothers when he cried “mama” as he lay dying in the street, and we responded from the heart. To the 67,000 mourners gathered to lay him to rest we offered a gesture of comfort: a sea of handheld church fans to ward off the oppressive summer heat. The fans feature artist Michael Ray Charles’ painting of Floyd with eyes closed, having just uttered his last words, “I can’t breathe, Mama…”. The portrait is agonizing, but the fan’s flipside flashes a steely promise: I VOTE.
Comfort and a Promise
“Like the black church itself, these little handheld fans serve a purpose beyond their intended use. There is something magical that transcends their obvious or religious utility, conveying a deep sense of sisterhood and understanding. The fans are something everybody in the church uses, but in the hands of Black women they seem to be something else entirely.” So writes Jada F. Smith about the cultural power of church fans, these iconic artifacts of the Black South. Longing to offer some measure of comfort, however small, to women collectively mourning children, husbands, fathers, and more lost to systemic racism, we drew upon that power. For two sweltering summer days in Houston church fans flapped. And George Floyd’s funeral felt more like a massive tent revival than a protest, a stern promise behind every prayer.
We posted signs and banners at our Rice Village studio in an effort to bring this powerful message home.
Photography © Aarik Charles : Portrait of Lana Rigsby & Michael Ray Charles © Drew Donovan
The Church Fan Project and Michael Ray Charles’s portrait of George Floyd became iconic in national and international newsmedia covering Floyd’s funeral in Houston in the summer of 2020. I AM, an anti-racism magazine designed by DJ Stout and team at Pentagram, featured the work as a cover story in its premier issue.
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