I was practically driven to Rome in order to obtain the opportunities for art culture and to find a social atmosphere where I was not constantly reminded of my color. The land of liberty had no room for a colored sculptor.
Edmonia Lewis
I have a strong sympathy for all women who have struggled and suffered.
There is nothing so beautiful as the free forest. To catch a fish when you are hungry, cut the boughs of a tree, make a fire to roast it, and eat it in the open air, is the greatest of all luxuries. I would not stay a week pent up in cities if it were not for my passion for art.
No, I have not a drop of what they call white blood in my veins. My father was a full blooded Negro, and my mother was a full blooded Chippewa.
One day, I saw a statue of Benjamin Franklin, and I said to myself, 'I can do that kind of work, too.'
I thought I knew everything when I came to Rome, but I soon found I had everything to learn.
Sometimes the times were dark and the outlook was lonesome, but where there is a will, there is a way. I pitched in and dug at my work until now I am where I am.
Some praise me because I am a colored girl, and I don't want that kind of praise. I had rather you would point out my defects, for that will teach me something.
My features I take from my father, but my spirit, my industry and perseverance I get from my Indian mother.
Until I was twelve years old, I led this wandering life, fishing, swimming, and making moccasins.
