Ms. Holmes /  by Eric Etheridge

In June I interviewed Ms. Holmes about the loss of her son. She spoke about grief, her own and community grief. She talked about sitting outside her building at Morris 1 and crying together with neighbors who had also lost children to violence. No one else can possibly understand what it's like to lose a child unless you've lost one. Ms. Holmes is a woman of incredible strength.

A week later she spoke at a vigil for her 5 year old grandson, Jaheem Hunter, who was shot walking home with his Dad.

photo by Eric Etheridge 

Super Sweet Day @ COCOON Open House /  by Eric Etheridge

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Here with Luz Marie, Alejo and Rosa in front of Eric's growing photo portrait exhibition of local people @ MARs.

As Danny Barber (Pres. The Jacksons) says, "COCOON is about recording history through audio and photographs"

And Saturday we were talking history about:

  • Amazing grandparents raising amazing grand children.
  • Hardships of becoming a permanent US resident.
  • Good times at community barbecues on the basketball court when everybody brought a different dish and multiple nationalities were represented.
  • Family & Neighbors supporting each other.

These stories and others will be heard inside my COCOON a public space sculpture.

Many thanks to Alejandro and Eric. Special thanks to Rosa for bringing refreshments and to Luz Marie for recording her beautiful story.

Always awesome thanks to my hosts and partners Chaney Yelverton (Pres. MARs) and Danny Barber (Pres. The Jacksons).

Me, Danny & Chaney with the memory map. /  by Eric Etheridge

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Just finished hanging the neighborhood map with my incredibly supportive hosts and partners Presidents Danny Barber (The Jacksons) and Chaney Yelverton (MARs). Super great end of day.

This map is a collaboration between COCOON by Kate Browne, local people from Jackson, Melrose & Morrisania Air Rights and artist Alejandro Salgado Centales.

Always working toward the individual and community memory.

The awesome and beautiful. Amazing Jewels Marshall ... /  by Eric Etheridge

The awesome and beautiful. Amazing Jewels Marshall who has been organizing with me and the COCOON team since the spring 2016. She has literally knocked on thousands of doors with me in NYCHA Jackson and Morrisania Air Rights over the many months we have been organizing and will continue to organize for the artwork. She lives in Jackson houses and has spoken with clarity about the importance of recording your story, history, life in the neighborhood to be heard inside COCOON a public space sculpture.

COCOON would not be possible without Jewels and the team. The us and we is everything.