Ayanna Smith
Ayanna's dedication to honoring those who paved the way before her, while planting seeds for the future, was central to her work.
Legacy of Care
Legacy of Care is a portrait series showcasing the legacy of Black domestic workers in the United States. Each portrait tells an intergenerational story of domestic workers and their descendants, highlighting the inherent power and resilience of those who come from a lineage of caring for others.
From Black women whose ancestors have generational roots in this country, to the newest immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, to the Irish immigrant women who migrated two generations ago – millions of us have matriarchs in our lineage who worked as domestic workers.
Despite roots in slavery and exclusionary policies, the legacy of domestic work in the United States is a proud legacy of resilience and resistance. Generations have led change, moving us closer to a future where everyone can live, work, and care with dignity.
For many domestic workers, the skills they use to make a living now were first introduced to them by their caregivers—parents and grandparents who instilled in them the values of care and compassion. This connection to a legacy of caregiving is a source of pride.
Legacy of Care champions the legacies of power, resilience, agency, and care embodied by domestic workers of the past and present, and passed down to future generations. Together, let’s celebrate the women who resisted, and persisted to make this world one in which we can live, rest, and thrive with dignity, while reflecting on the role care and all care workers play in our own lives.
