Black Lives Matter- Portrait of George Floyd

By Charlotte Cheung, 17

Medium: digital

This piece was made in light of the most recent instance of an innocent black American being made a target of violence based on skin color. As a non-black person of color, I feel that the most important action that anyone can take is to educate oneself and become vocally supportive of black rights. If it feels uncomfortable and difficult, that means beliefs are being challenged and changed and that’s the direction we should be taking. Everyone should learn about the struggles and history of African Americans (start conversations, read books, watch documentaries, listen to podcasts!), and with that compassion and knowledge, be an advocate. Being ignorant and allowing the deep-rooted issue of racism in this country to go undiscussed digs those roots deeper. Everyone has an implicit bias (unconscious belief in stereotypes about certain groups i.e. thinking that we are not racist when in fact our actions may reflect otherwise), whether we like it or not. This means we must actively change our beliefs. Some may believe that the issue of black oppression doesn’t affect them, or what they say or think won’t make a difference – but how will anything about this change if everyone held these beliefs? Desmond Tutu said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Donate and protest if you can; broaden your perspective and grow your compassion. Black Lives Matter, #antiracism