Students

On a recent trip to visit extended family, Cjala Surratt ’22, Syracuse University alumna and founder of the Black Citizens Brigade, was presented with a gift– her late grandmother’s boiler room jacket. Surratt’s grandmother had been a ship-fitter in Norfolk, Virginia, and the clothing item had been a welcome surprise for Surratt, a vintage clothing fanatic.

Even more surprising than the jacket, however, was the history behind the woman who wore it. “Did you know she was the first Black female union leader for the shipyard?” a relative asked Surratt during her visit. Surratt’s grandmother, who had stepped up to do the job no one else wanted, had been trailed by a security detail at the time, as the owners of the commercial port were against unionization.

“I was like, wait, what?” says Surratt. “This is exactly what I mean– that clothes can be the prompt for these broader stories.”

For Suratt, clothes have always been a conduit for storytelling. Following her graduation from Syracuse University and ten subsequent years spent as the Director of Marketing for Light Work, the University’s nonprofit photography studio, Suratt opened the Black Citizens Brigade, a downtown storefront dedicated to amplifying Black history through clothes, books, and art.

“For Black and brown people, or those who’ve historically experienced economic disparity, upcycling has always been an economic imperative,” says Surratt. “I think I’m part of continuing that legacy.”

Legacy is the through line of Surratt’s work. Her love of vintage clothing came from growing up in a family of seamstresses, milliners, and creatives. During the early days of COVID-19, Surratt and her daughter would peruse the racks of Goodwill, one of the few businesses open at the time. With many elders being pushed into nursing homes, the pandemic made thrift stores abundant with discarded clothes from families cleaning out their parents’ closets, says Surratt.

Once her home began overflowing with garments from thrifting trips, she decided it was time to finally take the leap and pursue establishing her own shop. After months of working with the Syracuse Downtown Committee, scouring listings for vacant storefronts, and organizing her collection, Surratt opened the Black Citizens Brigade in June of 2023 and has been providing downtown Syracuse with an eclectic mix of clothing, culture, and community ever since.     

Today, Black Citizens Brigade sells hard-to-find items that center on Black history, specializing in clothes from the 1950s-1980s, along with vintage books, magazines, and records. The time period of the clothes is an ode to Surratt’s fascination with the aesthetics of that time, while the book selections represent her commitment to education. 

“The clothes and the books are prompts for larger conversations about race, culture, history, and gender,” says Surratt. “And so, the books all center on Black community, Black history, Black culture.”

Surratt’s blending of learning through culture stretches back to her time at Syracuse University, where she studied Stage Theatre through the College of Visual and Performing Arts and minored in Cultural Anthropology and Psychology. Later on, she came back as a continuing education student to finish credits part-time through the College of Professional Studies. She credits specific parts of her education, such as doing character studies that involved thinking about the history of trends, as helping her in her current career.

“The common thread is understanding people– a desire to know why people arrive at the choices they make, and also a deep curiosity about culture and community,” she says.

Since its opening, Black Citizens Brigade has Surratt’s community to thank for the store’s success. She’s leveraged her upbringing in Syracuse and attendance and former job at the University to bring more attention to her space.

Downtown, where businesses founded by BIPOC owners statistically don’t last as long as businesses with white business owners, is where the physical storefront is located, Surratt says. However, Surratt knows that being a visible part of the community beyond the brick-and-mortar is crucial, as it shares the message that Black and brown businesses are here to stay.

“We’re at a very pivotal time in our city to bring the message,” says Surratt.

Looking forward, Surratt hopes to expand her storefront and host interactive events, such as poetry workshops and listening sessions. In her store lined with archival photos of Black domestic life, Surratt is aiming to cultivate a feeling of homecoming for all who enter.

“I want it to feel like you’re coming into a Black family photo album.”

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By Isabel Bekele

The next time you spread a pat of butter on toast, smile then give a nod to local artist and sculptor Sharon BuMann, VPA ‘84. Over many years, the Syracuse University graduate used the malleable, edible element to form numerous beloved sculptures commissioned by the New York State Fair.

Driving around Syracuse, keep your eye out for mammoth figures chiseled in bronze or other hearty materials. Sharon’s expert, compassionate hands have either restored existing pieces or created new works to reflect the city’s rich history.

On Oct. 25, Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens presided over a proclamation ceremony at the Jerry Rescue Monument in Clinton Square to honor Sharon in recognition of her lifetime achievements and contributions to the Central New York community.

From Butter to Bronze

The creator of many of Syracuse’s best-known pieces of public art, Sharon earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Syracuse, conferred by the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and administered through the College of Professional Studies, in 1984. Previously, she had earned an associate degree in graphic arts from Onondaga Community College. She’s also pursued post graduate study at the Lyme Academy and the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

Almost 40 years later, “Sharon BuMann Day” was proclaimed by the City of Syracuse. October is the month in which the Jerry Rescue occurred 172 years ago, reinforcing the date and location of the ceremony. Sharon has deep family and artistic roots in Central New York, having been raised in Central Square, just north of Syracuse near Oneida Lake. Her grandmother, also an artist, gave 11-year-old Sharon her first sketch book.

Years later, Sharon designed and created the Jerry Rescue Monument, commemorating the rescue of fugitive slave William “Jerry” Henry when citizens of Syracuse stormed his jail cell in 1851 and helped him escape to freedom in defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Among other works in Syracuse, she also created the Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten statue on the city’s southside, honoring the world-renowned folk and blues singer from North Carolina who decided to live out her days in the city. Sharon formed the Mountain Goat Monument in Upper Onondaga Park that celebrates the annual 10-mile run and was involved in the exterior structural design of the Onondaga County War Memorial that pays tribute to veterans in Syracuse and around the world, for which she and her team received the ACI Grand Award of Excellence.

Artistic Values and Virtues

In addition to creating her artistic works, Sharon and her husband grew their family to include two children — daughter Amy, a healthcare professional in Western New York, and son George, also a sculptor — who attended the presentation. A graduate of SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry with a B.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology, George, who also earned a M.S. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, shared thoughts during the ceremony.

He talked about values and virtues Sharon has created throughout her career. “As much of what my mother modeled through her work speaks to liberty, equality, women’s suffrage, and abolitionism, she also wove these elements among her everyday life,” he said. “These still live in the bricks and mortar of the Jerry Rescue monument and other works, but my mother’s ‘invisible moments’ have become cherished memories for those who’ve been able to work with her or share her company.”

Inclusivity and Diversity

George further remarked, “Inclusivity has always been a central part of my mother’s personal philosophy, her career, and our family. My sister and I absorbed many of these lessons passively without realizing them, often around the dinner table that served as the impromptu story time for our family. Not until years later would we understand how fortunate we were, as our world was one that did not distinguish between people based upon color, creed or any other orientation. This came with the implicit understanding that we are infinitely more productive, creative and resilient when we work together as one.”

Sharon’s Syracuse University experience came first as a student and then as an art instructor in VPA. College of Professional Studies Dean Michael Frasciello notes that Sharon’s outlook about life and relationships align perfectly with the philosophy of the University and the College. “We strive to provide access to the university experience to all people to expand the thinking, understanding and respect we need to survive — and thrive — locally and globally,” he says.

Community Partnerships to Create Art

Sharon has worked diligently to share her artistic vision in Syracuse and across the country, crediting many individuals with her success as a prolific contributor to the Central New York landscape: Syracuse University faculty and administrative leadership; those in local government who’ve seen the value of the public art scene; and community volunteers and cheerleaders, including John Marsellus and Chet Whiteside, who paved the way for many of the projects that reflect her creative spirit.

Throughout the years, she has continually attended workshops and prides herself on the vast amount of independent study and research that informs her work. Sharon says that “life-long learning is a philosophy I live by,” in keeping with the mission of the College of Professional Studies.

Now in her later years, Sharon is enjoying life at a more relaxed pace, though art and sculpture remain part of her daily existence. “My dream and my choice have been, from a very young age, to work as a professional artist,” she says.

While Sharon has created many works using many media, never underestimate what the talent — and passion — of one woman can do as you spread that tiny pat across your bread.

The Syracuse University-trained, Central New York native holds the Guinness World Record for the largest butter sculpture ever assembled, a model of Big Tex, an icon of the Texas State Fair, that was displayed at that venue weighing in at 4,077 pounds. As monumental as this task may seem, Sharon sums it up simply: “I just love what I do.”

Are you interested in helping to nurture artistic expression in those who are studying through Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies? Learn more by contacting Executive Director, Post Traditional Advancement, Jeffry Comanici, ’88, G ’23, at 315.443.1409 or jjcomani@syr.edu.
 
By Cheryl Abrams