Hey y’all,

Today I’m graduating from my PhD program, and I’m happy to be back from hiatus to share four new episodes of Rage to Master.

Today, I’m reflecting. Many Black people graduating Ivy League schools don’t know how to navigate life after, and sadly, I personally know three who didn’t survive. (RIP to Christopher Jordan, Rob Peace, and IK Ekunwe). If any of you have seen my talks in person, it’s likely you heard me talk of PTSD and losing my brother 3 days before my Yale graduation. Many curators ask me, “how is your family?” before they ask me about my work.

I distinctly remember my first desk. I was about 3, straining to make my letters look like my mother’s textbook-perfect penmanship on a page in Georgia. I remember getting into kindergarten when I was four in Germany. I remember taking a stack of no less than 20 books home every single week from the Toledo library (remember physical books?).

These memories were shaped by the herculean efforts of a lady working at Haagen Daz and Burger King, while her husband risked his life for wars he didn’t believe in but knew no other way to survive. My mama.

I remember her dressing up with pride to work at Ruby Tuesday’s, studying at night for her Bachelors’ degree. I remember her shouting, “I passed three parts!” when she successfully finished her CPA Exam. She graduated from her MBA the same year I graduated from Yale. Last year, she completed a certificate at Harvard in her 60s. our educational journey has been side by side. What a blessing to have a parent who loves education, books, reading, and life-long learning. This might be my last degree…but then again, law school and MBAs always fascinated me. Who knows?! Thank you, Mommy, for teaching me the joy of effort of facing something inscrutable and figuring it out. Learning.

She’s why I make art for people who like to think, who take pleasure in well-made things that are BOTH beautiful and provocative, who love their colleagues like family. Season Two of Rage to Master is dedicated to you, Ann-Marie Hammond. I love you.

p.s. This email only goes out once or twice a month if you’ve just joined or been added. I write inspiring content to help artists and curators not give up in seemingly hopeless times. No offense if you need to opt out or prefer catching up on IG (rmbstudios) or contributing to venmo (rmbstudios). Share if you think this newsletter is needed by someone in your life. Or even better, join as a subscriber to help me pay for these $1200 PhD Robes. Lol! Love you!