Uncover the Wonders of African Plants at the Lloyd Library

Starting next month, the Lloyd Library & Museum will open its doors to a multi-faceted exhibition delves into the rich history of African botanicals and their influence on the Americas.

Spearheaded by artist and University of Cincinnati professor Mark Harris, The Enduring Impact of the African Plant Diaspora is an immersive experience featuring 30 to 35 paintings, literature, and stimulating conversations shining light on the ways in which enslaved Africans shaped agricultural that still exist today.

Originally from London, Harris was Lloyd Library’s Artist-in-Residence in 2023 and has long been captivated by the intersection of art, history, and literature. He has spent the past two decades in Cincinnati exploring themes that connect his knowledge of Caribbean culture with his academic pursuits. His work on this exhibition stems from a deep fascination with how African plants transported across the Atlantic and to the Caribbean during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Harris’s research uncovered the crucial role enslaved Africans had in preserving botanical knowledge. His artwork at the exhibition will depict historical and contemporary representations of these traditions, alongside rare 18th-century botanical books from the Lloyd Library’s collection.

“I became increasingly interested in the knowledge that had come over, often underground, during the slave trade,” Harris explains. “Enslaved people understood plants and medicines and the special properties that plants and herbs have.”

For Harris, art is a powerful way through which history can not only be re-examined but also reclaimed. His work draws upon Caribbean music traditions, particularly Calypso, which has historically blended entertainment with strong political and social commentary. The exhibition echoes this approach, using visual storytelling to bring to light the suppressed histories of African botanical knowledge.

One of the themes Harris explores through his art is the role of Jamaican Maroon communities (settlements of escaped enslaved people) in preserving African agricultural traditions. During his travels to Jamaica, Harris was in awe of the resilience of these communities and their continued cultivation of medicinal plants.

The Enduring Impact of the African Plant Diaspora opening weekend of events kicks off on Friday, April 25, with a reception featuring the premiere of Harris’s film Predatory Botany alongside rare 18th-century botanical books from the Lloyd Library’s collection. According to the Lloyd Library, these books are key to the colonial plant trade but have overlooked the contributions of enslaved and indigenous peoples to botanical studies. Harris’s artwork will highlight these contributions and offer a refreshing artistic perspective on African plant legacies that have been concealed or erased.

On Saturday, April 26, visitors can expect an invigorating all-day symposium featuring a series of presentations, performances, and discussions from scholars and artists that include Brick Gardens founder Domonique Peebles, researcher and curator Chandra Frank, historian Jayson Maurice Porter, and visual artist/educator Annalee Davis.

Saturday’s events will also feature a community dinner in collaboration with Cincinnati’s Table and Wave Pool’s Olivia Nava. With a menu curated by Chef Sabina Ghartey, the dinner will celebrate African food culture and agriculture through dishes such as red red, fufu, and peanut butter soup, staples with deep historical roots in both African and Caribbean culinary traditions. Attendees will also be invited to swap recipes and food traditions, creating a space for rich connections and cultural exchange.

“The dinner definitely is going to bring the community together to carry on conversations about something that we all share—food,” says Christine Jankowski, Lloyd Library archivist and records coordinator, who has led the archival research for the exhibition. “We also want people to get to know who we are, that we’re here. We’re part of the West End, we’re part of downtown, and we can be a resource for people.”

If there’s one thing Harris wants visitors to take away from this exhibition—including the film, symposium and dinner—is the often unacknowledged importance of the legacies of African plant migrations and the resilience of African culinary and agricultural traditions.

“If people with the information given in the exhibition, the symposium, and the dinner, they’re able to recognize their indebtedness to these traditions without some of them realizing it, that’s fantastic,” Harris says.

The Enduring Impact of the African Plant Diaspora’s opening reception, symposium, and community dinner are all free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend the symposium. The exhibition will run April 25 through July 25.