In October 2020, Connecting the Dots screened the documentary Ashes to Ashes in partnership with The Maryland Memorial Lynching Project. During the panel discussion that followed, we had the great fortune to be joined by the subject of the film, Mr. Winfred Rembert, the only known living survivor of a lynching who created beautiful leather-tooled artwork documenting his trauma and the racial trauma of Black people in America. The entire Connecting the Dots team was deeply saddened to learn of Mr. Rembert's passing last week.
Mr. Rembert was born on November 22, 1945. He grew up with his aunt Lillian Rembert, who lived and worked on cotton fields in Georgia. In 1967, at age 21, Mr. Rembert was the victim of a lynching attempt after trying to escape from prison after being held without charges. He was hung upside-down by his ankles and nearly castrated before being sent back to prison, where he remained for seven years.
After his release, Mr. Rembert married his wife Patsy and the two moved north, eventually settling in New Haven, CT, where he began to carve scenes from his life into leather, capturing his trauma and pain in his breathtaking work. He is survived by his wife Patsy, seven of his eight children, and 17 grandchildren.
We wanted to inform you of Mr. Rembert's passing and encourage you to purchase his beautiful artwork and pre-order his book, Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist's Memoir of the Jim Crow South. Lastly, we encourage you to work with us to raise money for his family in this difficult time. If you would like to donate, buy his art, or watch Ashes to Ashes, please click this link: https://linktr.ee/ctdaac When you donate, simply write in the memo or notes that you wish for it to support Winfred Rembert and his family. Thank you for your courage and your gracious light, Mr. Rembert. Your pain and suffering are gone at last. May your memory forever be a blessing. #WinfredRembert #BlackLivesMatter #BlackHistoryIsAmericanHistory
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