Count me among the many grieving Andrea Elizabeth Clarke, who died on October 29, 2025 at the age of 80.

She was a singular force, creative and hilarious, generous and mischievous. Her talents were myriad. She accomplished much over her lifetime, never letting her aspirations overshadow her aptitude for having a good time. I’m in awe of the life she led, and the wonderful gift of her friendship. 

Traveling back in time, I can’t quite remember when we first met. We were both active in the community, and could have met anywhere. It was likely around some initiative or event related to local Black history. Andrea is perhaps best known for her photos of the East End neighborhood prior to urban renewal. We may have connected when she presented her work at the UNC Asheville African Americans in WNC Conference, which I helped Dr. Darin Waters produce for several years. 

Whenever it was, I am grateful. There was an ease to our connection, we became close quickly. There are countless others who can say the same thing, she made friends easily. 

Andrea was born in 1945 just two months before my dad, in the same place, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Such synchronicity. I was born not far from there. Our families have long histories in that area, though of course vastly different stories. The Worthen family owned the kind of chairs she was so skilled at caning. It was a frequent topic of conversation, how our ancestral roots were geographically close, though racially divided. Still, those roots resonated. Andrea’s accent and attitude were familiar and comforting. Admittedly, Massachusetts culture can be somewhat harsh at times. A New England-er in my bones, I relished her dry wit and edginess. 

We spent hours together at her house or driving around in her car, listening to music, and generally shooting the shit. Times of levity and learning. 

A story Andrea told repeatedly was about a visit to Salem when she was a young woman. While there, Andrea wore an unusual dress and head wrap, and people on the street asked if she was Tituba. Though she may or may not have been offended at the time, this recollection was shared with amusement. She liked to joke about moving to Salem to take on impersonation as a hustle. A playwright and theatrical person, she had the skills to pull it off. 

It was fascinating to hear about her travels, which included photographing significant moments such as James Brown in the Bahamas and the Anguilla Revolution. As someone who loves New Orleans, I also soaked up her stories of living there. Once she shared a short film she directed in NOLA in 1976, entitled Meat Rack. A window into a different time. 

Astrology was a mutual interest. Born with a Pisces sun, Andrea appreciated the mystical. The signs and planets were frequent reference points in our discussions, both for people and places. She had an interesting analysis of Asheville’s astrology chart. I can’t help but think she would appreciate the cosmic alignment of her death occurring during Scorpio season, with its significations of death and transformation. 

We also bonded over our mutual love of Gospel Night at the Double Crown. Unforgettable evenings of world class gospel groups singing in the Holy Ghost. I can picture the giant smile on Andrea’s face as we all danced and clapped and sang along to this cathartic music. 

Our collaborations centered on Black history. In our work together, she not only taught me about historical events, but helped me better understand feelings they engendered. She shared her pain around how urban renewal impacted her father’s mental health, and the pride she felt about her grandfather James Vester Miller’s successes.

Her active commitment to documenting history for future generations was commendable. She never waited for institutional support for her efforts, taking it into her own hands to manifest things like the James Vester Miller plaque on the Public Works Building and the James Vester Miller Walking Trail. 

The final project we worked on was creating the content for a historical marker for James Vester Miller Park in Emma, where he lived. The last photo of us together is from the unveiling event for that marker, in May 2025, where we were able to celebrate her many community contributions. 

Asheville is a better place thanks to Andrea’s efforts to amplify Black history. 

I am better for having the opportunity to love her. 

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IN ANDREA’S HONOR

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Andrea’s legacy, you can join me in making a donation in her honor to Slay the Mic – STM Multimedia’s 10 year anniversary fundraising campaign, HERE. You can read more about their work at that link. Their youth mentees have been part of the Montford & Stumptown Stories docuseries. Andrea loved initiatives where young people learn history and are given tools for documentation and storytelling. An investment in this work feels like a perfect way to carry her light forward.

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