Mama's Backpack

Washington, DC artist Julee Dickerson Thompson creates uplifting and healing works of art that aim to invoke a strong sense of community, her career spanning illustration, doll design, and public art. In this work, a smiling young Black child peers up at her mother. She returns the child’s gaze, beaming as the baby rests her head on her shoulder and holds on to her back. Bright, vibrant colors including fuchsia, green, and yellow contribute to the painting’s warmth. The blue and green background coupled with a yellow and orange circle enclosing three stars indicate an outdoor setting. A thick gray brushstroke over the woman’s head resembles a halo, and a jagged, triangular gray outline around the child’s head evokes a crown. Subtly incorporating these mystical elements suggests that motherhood can transform quotidian moments into spiritual experiences.