Illustrations & Prose
(2019)
Gouache, Copic Markers, Gelly Roll Pens
“To say something new is first of all to reaffirm the traces of the past that are inscribed in the words we use… In order to say “Black” in a new way, we have to fight off everything else that Black had always meant-all it’s connotations, all its negative and positive figurations…” (Hall, 1989)
I see Black everywhere. It is in the streets, on the playground, on the stage, and among the crowd. I see Black at home, where I receive motherly warmth, and I see it in class, sitting across from me in the lecture hall. I see it addressing me and my classmates during convocation, and I see it preparing my daily Lavender Chai Latte.
Black is pain, tears, perseverance, and sweat. Black is being upon a cargo ship, stacked, packed, and sold as a commodity. Black is standing in line for hours, with no access to food, water, or a bathroom, in an effort to exercise your right to register to vote. Black is risking your life, by walking down the street holding a bag of Skittles and an Arizona. Black is [insert modern example].
“Some say the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice. I say the darker the flesh, the deeper the roots” (Shakur, 1993)
Black is often defined as the lack of color or light, though that black is not my Black. My Black is beautiful. My Black is strong. My Black is fierce, and my Black is intense. It is romantic, passionate, and proud.
A color so united, yet unspecific in hue. Black is as dark as your morning coffee beans, and as light as your sweet afternoon Caramel Macchiato. Black is as luminous as gold, and as alluring as amber. Delicious as Crème, and as Pure as Cacao.
Black is my identity, and my story. It is part of what makes me great. “The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness” (Garvey, 1920)
Black is unforgiving, unapologetic, and undefined. Black is showing out to vote as a “Demographic” for our President. Black is the grace of the finest ballerina representing the American Ballet Theatre. Black is being the inspiration to the little Black eyes with potential yet to be unlocked, serving as a surrogate. Black is knowledge of excellence, pride, and infinite greatness, visible or invisible.
Believing in your Black leads to [∞].
Works Cited
Garvey, M. (Figure). (1920).
Hall, S. (1989). Ethnicity: Identity and Difference. Radical American, 9-20.
Shakur, T. (Artist). (1993). Keep Ya Head Up.
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