E8 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 , 2020
Desiree Kelly
A lot of things that pertain to social injustice have been
put into the spotlight. Actions, or events are easier to
document and capture on video and in photos. So when
something happens that is obviously wrongful, there is
an immediate reaction. America is now confronted with
a force to be reckoned with. This piece is in direct
response to the death of George Floyd in police custody.
This depiction of Floyd looking over his shoulder with
“Black Lives Matter” written on his hat represents all
black people. The stop sign meaning quite literally
“Stop Racism, Stop Social Injustice, Stop Killing Us.”
The arrow to the right represents a need to change
direction.
The intense red of the sign brings high alert. It’sJon Key
“Defund the Police” is the rallying cry echoed around the
world. At its core is the resounding demand to radically
redistribute the way our tax dollars are being used.
“Defund the Police” calls into question the legacies of the
police system and other such systemic relics whose very
existence applauds the efforts of the racist riders of the
(not so distant) past. Descended from the slave driver, the
slave patrol and the night watchers, the American
policing system is the latest progeny of a lineage founded
upon hyper-surveillance and control of the Black body, a
bloodline begun when the first enslaved African was
brought to this land. We have instated presidents,
institutions, governmental staff who have been profiting
and participating in the commerce and extortion of the
Black body. Andrew Jackson and George Washington,
both notably slave owners, are framed on our money.
Currently, in many states and counties, the police
system is awarded the highest percentages of annual
budgets in any given year. Police inside geared uniforms
strut in formation, dominating our streets in the name of
law and order. They attack and terrorize unarmed and
unarmored civilians without remorse. Their reign must
end. After decades of enduring this persecution in
obscurity, we — Black, indigenous and non-Black people
of color — are seeing the broader public bear witness to
the horrors we have already known to be true, as made
possible through mobile phone and network technology.
Finally, the world is standing with us.Key is from Seale, Ala., and lives in Brooklyn. He is donating
his commission from this project to the Emergency Release
Fund, a New York bail fund that helps transgender people
out of detention before their trials. His original illustration
was edited by The Washington Post. @jkey13Johnalynn Holland
This is my reflection of my weariness from living in a
world slowly (too slowly) realizing and reckoning with
the issues we have talked about for decades. It’s about
white supremacy, which is so pervasive, it has poisoned
all Americans. The half-decomposed body being
consumed by the snake symbolizes the polarity of living
as a Black American. The venom of white supremacy will
kill us all if we’re unable to molt its skin and start anew.Holland lives in Washington.Donald Wooten II
Before America can come to a reckoning with the current
state of racial affairs, it must first recognize how long
racism and racist practices have been prevalent in
America. The dichotomy of symbolic freedom projected
from within a system of complex racial inequality and
untethered injustices toward minorities led me to the
Statue of Liberty as a subject of study. I felt it important
to use the torch as the light for the powder keg that is
racial tension in America centralized around the callous
and senseless killing of unarmed Black people at the
hands of police all around America.Wooten II is from East Orange, N.J., and lives in Atlanta.Dan Keith Williams
“Rebel Soul Power” is a photolithographic print that’s
part of an evolving series that explores the identity of
African American men and how those identities are
shaped. The piece speaks to the journey a black man may
encounter in defining himself of a society that seeks to
define and generalize him for expediency with little
consideration of his struggles, complexities, and
individual worth.
“Rebel Soul Power” was created a couple of years ago,
but its voice is unfortunately timeless. It speaks loudly
and vibrantly to black pain, which has been ongoing for
centuries and we continue to endure daily.Williams is from Beaufort, S.C., and lives in the Bronx.BY WASHINGTON POST STAFFT
he fight for racial justice has been present in America since its inception. While the uprising against police brutality has long been
ongoing, a historic number of Americans are participating in renewed protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in police
custody. Support for Black Lives Matter among U.S. voters has increased, and the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to
defund the city’s Police Department and establish a “holistic” public safety force. The question “Is America at a point of
reckoning?” has recaptured the nation’s imagination with a sense of urgency. ¶ We asked nine Black artists from across the country to
reflect on this question. Some said that America seems to finally be at a point of reckoning. Some said that America has long been at this
point. Their works of art and words reveal that there’s a long road to healing. T hese interviews have been edited and condensed.PERSPECTIVEA long road to healing
Nine artists consider the question: ‘ Is America at a point of reckoning?’
meant to capture your attention.
These things have constantly been a concern in the black
community. There were a lot of different thoughts that ran
through my mind when I was reading the news that riots
broke out. Most of all I felt that I needed to do something. I
didn’t only relate as a black person but as a black mother. I
felt compelled to use my voice to make a real difference. So
when the protests and riots started happening, that was the
turning point. I felt like I needed to do something more. I
wanted to peacefully protest but make a very loud powerful
statement. I wanted to use my voice as an artist to amplify
this message.Kelly lives in Detroit. @desireekellyart