Image Courtesy of The Whitney
When I first walked into the room, a bright shine took my eye. This shine captured my vision, blinding my eyes to everything around me. In this medium sized room filled with artwork, all I could see was gold shoes lined up on a white platform. All the shoes were laced tightly having a firm grip to the invisible owners’ ankles and cleanly sparkling to where you could see it from the tallest skyscraper in NYC. The shoes each had a unique design but the same purpose. As I came closer to the portrait, it mysteriously whispered to me, "Look into me closely and see what you can find." As I listened to the tour guide explaining the depths of this piece, I quickly distinguished a strong relationship between Lineup and me.
Throughout American history, a virus called hatred has been the leading force in corruption. In 1993 Gary Simmons created a beautiful sculpture titled Lineup in response to this virus. Simmons used his talents in art to generate a visual vaccine, which had the power to communicate with people in preventing the spread of hatred. The main purpose of Lineup was to showcase the growing problems people of color experience because of their race. The storyline created in Lineup holds a theme of empowerment and police brutality.
In 1992, the truth in America was exposed through a short videotape revealing society reverting back into its old ways. After being captured by four police officers during a high-speed chase, Rodney King was brutally and senselessly beaten. The injustice lead by racial inequality in this case started wild riots all over the U.S. In fact, King’s hometown Compton was completely destroyed by people during the protests against violence and the hateful attitude to the racial discrimination inflicted by the government.
Similar to Gary Simmons, many African Americans used their talents to highlight the beauty in their race. Simmons used stereotypes in sneakers to address the negative connotation surrounding the people who sport them. Since 1985 the birth of Nike Air Jordan sneakers has brought power and unity to the black community. Once banned because of racial discrimination, Michael Jordan used Nike sneakers as a platform to rebel and advocate for equality. During the 1900s, African Americans proudly dominated the sports world, reigning in with numerous titles and awards. From Michael Jordan being known as the greatest basketball player of all time, to Evelyn Ashford becoming the first woman to run 100 meters in under 11 seconds, both athletes out of thousands showed people how to stop putting limitations on race. Simmons used diverse designs of Nike athletic shoes to represent African Americans. When looking at each sneaker closely, viewers will find all the sneakers were worn by successful basketball players, changing the game of racial discrimination.
Moreover, “According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three African-American men can expect to be incarcerated at some point.” Although many people of color were being arrested during this time of violence and hatred, they all had one thing in common. The large imitation of the police line up in the background of the shoes alludes to a meaning of police and government officials abusing their power. Statistics show, “While people of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned.” It is appalling to see that many people of color are mistreated and prevented from being the best person they can be. Simmons’ sculpture brings awareness to the mistreatment and racial inequality African Americans face and shows that people of color can be successful.
About 50 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." This statement has proven to still be relevant today. Time is supposed to change lives, like the 13th Amendment being passed ending slavery, setting millions of people free. Similar to getting a fake piece of jewelry, time is its greatest enemy. At first the jewelry can be beautiful and shiny. However, with the darkness and hatred underneath, what appears to be beauty starts to wear away. The American society has come a long way, but the journey is not over yet. The monster created by hatred continues to thrive on people by killing and mentally destroying the minds of people into being fearful, hateful, and even giving up on themselves.
Black Lives Matter is the modern way of promoting racial equality. Lineup inspires us to fight. Violence is never the answer. However, speaking out to the community about love and bringing awareness about the harsh effects of racial inequality is powerful. In the last decade more than 1,000 people have been killed due to police brutality and racial inequality. Lineup has empowered me to show "White silence is violence" meaning Caucasian people have the privilege to speak up in bringing awareness to racial injustice. This piece has given me more fuel towards my dream of making a difference and helping to prevent upcoming generations from the impact of hatred. The 13th Amendment was clearly ratified to grant all people, despite their race, freedom. I might be bone person, but I will never allow my ancestors long, hard earned, fight, for freedom to rot. The main thing I love about Lineup is its power to stretch beyond its times. After seeing Lineup, a famous artist once said "They can put us behind bars but can never take our shine.”
