Uploaded November 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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“Language has a way of making things real.”

When Jason Reynolds first saw Gordon Park’s “Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman (American Gothic)” as a teenager, the photograph “stuck to him.”

The work features Ella Watson, an African American woman, as she faces the camera head-on with an upside-down broom in hand.

Inspired by Watson’s “quiet power” and Gordon Park’s dedication to capturing multifaceted African American life and humanity, Reynolds wrote a new original piece, “Charwoman Interrupted Again.”

Reynolds writes to give Ella Watson a voice that directly questions her photographer and larger audience – a voice that asserts its worth and individuality.

Watch as Reynolds performs and interprets this poem about labor and legacy.

Read Jason's poem here: nga.gov/stories/jason-reynolds-gordon-parks.html

View “Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman (American Gothic)” in our online collection: nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.171968.html

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