Melvin Edwards is best known for his sculptural series of Lynch Fragments, which spans three periods: the early 1960s, when he responded to racial violence in American history; the early 1970s, when his activism concerning the Vietnam War motivated him to return to the series; and from 1978 to the present, when he began honoring individuals, exploring personal history and notions of nostalgia, as well as investigating his interest in African culture. Edwards has felt deeply connected to Africa and the African Diaspora since the 1970s, when he and his late wife, the poet Jayne Cortez, first began visiting the continent. Since then, he has taught metal welding in several countries, even establishing workshops and mentoring younger generations of African artists and welders. The title of Addis A. (2007) refers to Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. In 2007, Edwards and his wife Jayne traveled to Ethiopia on a pilgrimage.