The digital series Dear America developed from my need to portray an account of the Native American experience and their contributions to the history of the Untied States that is largely without voice in an American History education. Twenty years ago, I began collecting photographic postcards from the beginning of the 20th century. In one of my searches I came across an image of a beautiful Native American woman with a child strapped to her back. Underneath the image was the caption: The White Man’s Burden. This image remained with me and has been the catalyst for this series of images. The song America is the thread within the series, with each line from the song used as a title for the sixteen individual pieces.

Tom Jones

America

My country, “tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died.
Land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring.
Our father’s God to Thee
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light
Protect us by Thy might
Great God our King!


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© Tom Jones, II