Sacred Roots came into development during my Painting I course at Rutgers University – Camden. Our prompt was to create a collage with the theme of dystopia or utopia. While looking through magazines and newspapers in the classroom, I realized there were no colored people in the pictures. So I asked my professor, Stass Sphanin, to print pictures from Pinterest. He agreed it would be more honorable. After finding 3 separate themes, this collage came into fruition. A black woman with her afro defying gravity, a delicate flower upon her face, with hands detangling anothers hair, all while carefully placed flowers stick around. These flowers are to emphasize the beauty in our hair. Kinky hair is beautiful because it is natural and free.