Following Freedom was created as a tribute to the hundreds of formerly enslaved people who died, many in the waters, following the Union army soldiers at the Ebenezer Creek in Georgia. “The incident”, as it is commonly referred to by locals to the area, occurred in 1864 during the height of the American Civil War.

Intended to evoke the past and present while grappling with a historical and personal relationship to place, the book is composed of two 24-inch-long relief prints on handmade paper that nestle inside a hardcover folio printed with a historical map of the location. These prints, folded to form a double accordion, depict flora that the artist encountered during her many kayak trips on the creek. One side represents the past: a watery night scene depicting blue indigo, a common crop of the region. The side representing the present is grounded in land: showing a spider lily indigenous to the region, and easy to find in clusters along the banks of the creek. The interior of the accordion contains inclusions of aquatic plant matter from the Ebenezer, gathered by the artist.

Darby says, “I found myself on my kayak one Martin Luther King holiday reading the plaque on this site. In 2025 I am able to ride my kayak on the creek without fear or need of refuge. My book honors those who were never able to experience these freedoms.” This book serves to reclaim the geography for Black joy, leisure, and growth, while reflecting on the history of violence and spiritual reclamation through connection to nature and place.

Book Price: $1200
Shipping: $105 (S/H + insurance)
Total: $1,305.00