White Man's Lens
Project 2
In this project I took a look at the jim crow era and the aftermath that came with it .
ARTFirst and foremost this project is not meant to offend anyone. This project much like my first was a disturbing project to create. I created this piece with a lot of trial and error. During the weeks I got for this project I spent much time trying to figure out how to portray this image. It was a such a delicate topic I didn't want it to come out too harsh. Realistically though, I had to come to the reality that this piece was going to be uncomfortable, it was going to be offensive, and it was going to be disturbing. This being because of the history that carries through the U.S. that gets little to no acknowledgement. I spent a lot of time redoing sketches, trying different styles, and trying so hard to paint how everyone else does. However during this project I found I am not super talented with brushes. I lost all hope and felt that my paintings were just 2d. Until at my last hope I just used my fingers. In that moment I gained the motivation to keep going. Frankly this piece was hard because I am an outsider looking into both the black and white communities. This perspective was not mine though. The background is meant to represent how white people viewed the black community during jim crow. It is supposed to show the disgusting images of how these human beings were captured. The two people in the middle however, are meant to show a new world where they can love freely. I say this because my main motivation for this kind of image was that African Americans could not show affection in public. This made it so much more meaningful because I needed them positioned correctly. I have often seen that the black woman is consistent in protecting black men but it is not consistent the other way around. In my image he is being consoled by the woman and she is in front. This is simply an observation and again not to meant to be hurtful. In the end this project was simply meant to show the beauty of black love through a world full of hate.
"The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman." -Malcom X Sincerely,
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This project made me look deep into the ugliness of history. The atrocities committed against African Americans and the reality of our history. I picked this topic because I genuinely want to learn. I want to understand the problems of society today and more specifically the root of it. If people can't acknowledge the history there is no way of moving forward. You can't fix something if you don't understand how it is broken.
CIVICSFor my civics portion I took a look at the economy, laws, society, the kkk, the Tulsa massacre, the colfax massacre and the effects of it all. I found that this era consisted of many black codes and loopholes to keep newly freed slaves enslaved. With these black codes it was easy to limit and restrict African Americans and how they functioned in society. With things like sharecropping they used African Americans to continue doing farm work in turn for food, home, and usage of tools. This way keeping them enslaved through debt. This was common in many ways like fines, limiting jobs, and incarceration. African Americans were to have all separate accommodations. White people saw them as less than; they still saw them as slaves. Former confederate soldiers became officers and judges. White people became the ones in power to make sure they could keep in power. While they still had the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment the case of Plessy V Ferguson made it okay to use loopholes for segregation. Due to the constitution not being specific about what equal means it opened room to be seperate. Even though in my opinion this violates the 9th amendment at the time this was simply seen as separate accommodations but no sense of superiority. The 9th amendment is supposed to make it unlawful for people to use the amendments as their own interpretation to deny others their rights. Rights such as voting, privacy, etc. This was proven to be ignored during the colfax massacre. This massacre took place over several confederate veterans, kkk members, and members of the white league surrounded the courthouse because of a black militia. The men of the black militia surrendered but were shot and hung when they did. This was all over the republican party voting (majority African Americans). Only 9 of 150+ members were charged with violation of the enforcement acts of 1870-1871. The Tulsa massacre was even bloodier with only 36 deaths recorded but historians estimate over 300 deaths. White people burned, looted and killed during this. The difference today is that people don't want to acknowledge this part of history. Nowadays the right to protest is okay even if you are storming the capital over an election but only if you're white though. If you aren't white don't dare protest or get angry or show emotion for the death of your brothers and sisters because then you are seen as criminals. The Tulsa massacre was sparked by a boy simply riding in an elevator and an accusation by a white girl. Even in this instance only white people would be forgiven for these types of things. There is history of predetermined and generational prejudice. White people during these times did not want to conform to being equal they saw African Americans as monkeys, savages, uneducated, and many other racial slurs that are still used today. Today the prejudice is just a lot more subtle with policies against their hair and clothes, with prejudice in institutions that were built off racist people. This is the reason for they call for reform. Even after Brown V Board of education and the civil rights movements white people didn't want to share their world and many black folks didn't want to be a part of their world. The progress today may consists of more poc and minorities moving up in the world but the least amount of progress is the ignorance that continues killing this country. Perspectives are embedded all through our country the things is it is mostly the white perspective (shown as bias)..the white America. This is not the view for everyone else. You can't be mad at a system that was built for you and that is why many white folks don't go out of their way to learn anything other than their history and their rights. Perspective in this project is white America vs Black America and a Puerto Rican-American girl observing it all.
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