In 2020 , as protesters took to the streets following the murder of George Floyd , Ajuan Mance pondered her response . The Brown University alumna was eager to join the protests but worried about immunocompromised family members amid the spread of COVID-19 . Instead , she turned to art . “ I started looking up the different infractions for which Black people had been harassed by civilians or arrested or even killed , and I started drawing people doing those activities ,” she says . The result was Living While Black : Portraits of Everyday Resistance , a 2022 book and exhibit now on display at the First Unitarian Church of Providence . In forty colorful illustrations , Mance depicts Black individuals going about their daily lives , a theme she says her audience found very affirming . “ The idea of people approaching them , accusing them of doing something wrong , being in the wrong place — that felt very relatable for a lot of readers .” After graduating from Brown in 1988 , Mance pursued her doctoral degree and moved to California , where she teaches English at Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland . But art has always been a true calling . “ I use art to ask questions and explore dynamics around race and power that I can ’ t really explore using traditional academic means ,” she says . “ It ’ s become another way for me to inquire about the world , observe and explore .” That inquiry has continued through several volumes of art , comics and illustration , including her most recent book , What Do Brothas Do All Day ?, published for children last year . “ Living While Black ” is on display at the First Unitarian Church of Providence every Sunday , 10 a . m . to 1 p . m ., through June 30 . Visitors may also view the exhibit Monday through Friday , 9 a . m . to 5 p . m ., but are asked to call ahead at 421-7970 . — LAUREN CLEM

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AJUAN MANCE ; PHOTOGRAPH BY CASSANDRA FALBY .

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