68 www.CharlestonWomenPodcast.com | www.ReadCW.com | www.Instagram.com /CharlestonWomen Along with the great knowledge of cultivating rice, Africans brought the design for functional fanner baskets used for winnowing. This made the process of separating the chaff from the rice effective. Other baskets were used for harvesting shellfish, vegetables and cotton. On this side of the pond, it was a marsh grass called bulrush — that was coiled, not weaved — into the baskets, a method that Gullah artists still use today. Though the functionality of the basket is more a thing of the past, with time and technology discovering new ways to cultivate crops all the time, the artistry of the basket lives on as a reminder to all of us on what sacred soil we stand. It is a reminder to preserve a culture, to remember the past, to learn from where we’ve been and to celebrate those who are still here to practice the craft. It’s really about reflection, gratitude and finding beauty. Wanda Lenhardt, her daughter Tanaisha Johnson and her granddaughter Za’Mauria Smith exemplify three generations of women devoted to keeping this artistic expression alive. Lenhardt said, “When I was a little girl, I was always hanging around my grandmother. She wanted all her grandchildren to know how to make the baskets. She waited on me to ask. So, one day I asked, and she taught me. It’s a gift of craft. Anything you imagine can be done with it.” Perhaps that is one of the greatest fables hiding in the baskets. They prove that anything one can dream or hope for can be created. Adding to that idea, Johnson offered, “At first, I didn’t think I would be able to do it. I got frustrated. But now I feel confident, strong and courageous.” Smith, the youngest of the three generations, just 11 years old, is learning the art now. She can make a starter basket, but is eager to learn more. Much like her greatgreat-grandmother did for her own grandmother, she wasn’t taught until she asked. It’s important to the family that the person learning wants to know the practice. Smith said, “Since they passed it on, I want to be able to pass it on when I grow up and have kids. My favorite subject in school is history. I want to know what happened before I was born.” Perhaps young Smith said it best. She simply wants to know what came before her, then share it with those who will come after her. She wants to share the importance of the past with the aspirations of the future. She wants to keep turning those coils so tightly that they can hold all the hopes, all the dreams, all the lessons — all the water — that the world has to offer. Charleston Women in the Arts Nourichmentmedispa.com (854) 202-0077 @nourichmentmedispa info@nourichmentmedispa.com 2048 Charlie Hall Blvd. Charleston, SC WEIGHT LOSS is a top priority for many women and Nourichment Medispa has the SOLUTION for all of your weight loss needs. From targeting fat dissolving to full body transformation, we have a program for you. We’re nurseowned and nurse-operated. We hope to help you reach your weight loss goals soon. Connect with us
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