Happy Black History Month! I dedicated my collage to the Black Education Movement across the United States, and sought to paint a picture of what it’s like to be a Black student in this country. If you didn’t know, it can be overwhelming. Your mind is often crowded, fogged, and often the last thing on your mind is the educational task at hand. I hope you get that feeling when you look at my collage. I created my first digital mockup and initially was unsatisfied. I thought it was too literal, too jumbled, and had too much “chart junk.” Then I sat back and realized that was exactly what I was going for. Due to this, outside of better aligning Ruby Bridges, I dared to leave it as it was. Ruby Bridges is the center of my piece in Norman Rockwell’s highly recognizable piece: The Problem We All Live With. She is surrounded by pivotal moments and figures of the American Black Education Movement from UVA’s Isabella Gibbons and Walter Ridley, to photos of Brown v. Board of Education and The Little Rock Nine. I wanted this piece to be overwhelming, direct, and for the viewer to not have to wonder what its purpose was. I did not want them to get lost along the road of interpretation or artistic expression. It was made to be a conversation stater, a thought-provoker, and the beginning of people sharing experiences. Interestingly enough, given my intent it was not evident that this was the way it was received. During the gallery I observed people looking, but not commenting. Perhaps out of fear, perhaps out of inappreciation, or perhaps due to simply not knowing what to say. One of the first steps to solving a problem is for people to come together, agree that it’s a problem, then discuss it. So, regardless of why people chose not to interact with my piece, it was made apparent to me that in reference to Black Education in America, there is still much work to be done.
