Africentric Christmas tree toppers created by Nova Scotia pair
'This little bit that I'm doing brings our story out,' crafter Tracey Jones-Grant says
Tracey Jones-Grant says she cannot walk into most major department stores in Halifax and buy Africentric Christmas ornaments.
Most stores here don't carry them. The ones that do have a limited selection.
"It's discouraging, it's frustrating," Jones-Grant said Thursday.
"It's like we want to erase that this whole group of people exists. Not being able, like everybody else, to walk in and buy an angel or a Santa or something that looks like me says you're not valued. You're not part of the story."
To fill this void and to meet demand, two years ago at their Halifax home Jones-Grant and her mother, Joan Jones, started hand making black angels to top people's trees. They're called Tracey and Joan's Angels.
"It's important that this little bit that I'm doing brings our story out," said Jones-Grant, who is also Halifax's diversity and inclusion manager. "It says that we're part of the story and that we're valued."
Her mother said that when she asked store managers why they do not sell black ornaments or black dolls, she was told there was not enough demand.
"If they do happen to have a few black dolls or ornaments or whatever, they disappear so I don't know what creates a demand," Jones said.
Jones said she has no problem buying these items when she visits the same stores in Ontario or the United States.
'White people with brown paint'
Shelley Fashan of Lake Echo takes issue with the quality of the few black angels she has seen in stores.
"There's one or two faces and often they look like white people with brown paint," Fashan said. "It's really not reflective of an ethnic look or an African look. They're extremely rare and hard to find in this area."
Six years ago Fashan searched tirelessly for a black angel. She finally lucked out and found one that she liked on clearance at the Bay department store.
"But I have not found one since," she said.
Fashan said retailers need to be aware of what people are buying.
"It's not just black people buying black angels. They can represent a lot of different communities, I think," she said. "I've known white people that have looked for them, as well."
Each unique
To make her angels, Jones-Grant uses African fabrics, silver lamé and other rich, colourful fabrics that she buys locally.
Each angel is one of a kind, has big, bold, shiny wings and wears an African headpiece. Some wear African-style dresses and others wear glamorous ballroom gowns.
They range in size from 18 centimetres to 40.
"Basically, you have a black woman's beautiful face sitting on top of your standard cone that you would use on top of a Christmas tree," Jones-Grant said.
"But what I've done is created dresses and designs and patterns around these to make these women look like beautiful African princesses.
"If you look at them, each one has its own personality."
'I love seeing them go'
A jury has selected Jones-Grant's angels for a showing at the Halifax Crafters Society's upcoming winter market. The market will be held December 2-4 at the Olympic Community Centre in Halifax. She will have 30 angels available for sale there.
Jones-Grant does not find it hard to part with her creations.
"I love seeing them go to somebody," she said.
"The work of doing them is the joy I get and then parting with them is no problem. It's just nice to be able to do something and have something that I can share with others."
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