Julie Rainbow

Julie will collect interviews and photographs to amplify the voices of the aging population, particularly African American women, in modern society and share their thoughts and images on diverse digital platforms. The project will use content creation and media to address ageism and socio-economic inequities with an emphasis on participants' resilience and power.

Julie Rainbow is a social research activist artist, who integrates critical thinking with 25 years of social work experience; while synthesizing and analyzing stories from elders into original artistic work. Elders who've turned their life's experiences into wisdom share their life experiences. Rainbow's social work experience allows her to listen deeply and uncover both the bold and the humble responses to life. In 1995, Julie was selected as a W.K. Kellogg Foundation International Leadership Fellow. The fellowship provided learning in seven countries on four different continents, further encouraging her to pursue her passion of documenting the lives of elders. Her book, Standing the Test of Time: Love Stories of African American Elders, published by Pilgrim Press in 2002, was a tribute African elders. Her artistic work is meant to bring honor and recognition to the aging population and is fueled by her professional training as a social worker. She studied Economics at Spelman College and earned a MSS from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

Julie will create a public exhibition using video, photographs and narratives called Grits Greens and Griots. In response to the 100^th year anniversary of the Great Migration, the exhibit will explore the diverse experiences of African American elders –90 years of age and older – from the North and South. The goal of this project is to produce a public history record that compares the lives of African American elders who remained in the South to those who participated in the Great Migration north to Philadelphia. The exhibit is meant to challenge our perception about our collective understanding of life in the South during the 20^th century, and to highlight contributions elders continue to make in many communities.