About the Exhibition Foreword
The exhibition explores intersecting ideas of race , myth , art , and justice through the lens and unique interpretations of twelve inter-generational photographers . Via innovative contemporary art practices , the photographers engage with the premise of “ race ” as a social construct rooted in myth , while simultaneously interrogating its profound implications and indignities on our 21st century lives .
With roots in the United States and throughout Africa and the Caribbean — including Guyana , Jamaica , Nevis , Panama , Puerto Rico , St . Martin , and Sierra Leone — the photographers draw from an African Diasporic worldview steeped in their personal experiences as well as larger geographical political histories . Collectively , their images offer a poignant and provocative portrait of the ways the mythology of race and the pursuit of justice continue to permeate the global African experience .
Race , Myth , Art and Justice celebrates a community of voices who illuminate how conscious truth-telling art continues to serve as a powerful tool for justice . As part of CCCADI ’ s commitment to public engagement and collaboration , the curators invited twelve dynamic scholars , activists , artists , and writers to reflect on the exhibition ’ s works . Through their thoughtful framing , we witness how the images transcend limiting labels of “ political ,” “ radical ,” or “ protest ” art . These photographs are not merely gestures or symbolic meditations on race and justice . Instead , they reflect exclusion , erasure , and invisibility as the lived realities we wrestle and resist every day .
The exhibition is a component of the Race , Myth , Art and Justice project conceived by Dr . Marta Moreno Vega and Creative Justice Initiative , Inc .
Race , Myth , Art and Justice : We Stand !
We must respond to this unprincipled moment of our nation . It is the voice of our visionary artists that will create and lead the way ! Through their words , narratives , images , and movements the truth emerges . They refuse to be erased or silenced by untruths .
We are in a historic moment of heightened racism , of myths designed to further fracture a young nation still on the path of healing and dealing with the inhumane ravages of enslavement . Myths presented as truths frame a narrative of increased racism , exclusion , poverty , incarceration , and displacement . As we find ourselves in the midst of an onslaught of narratives and actions — racial , cultural , artistic and economic divisiveness , and intentional destruction of hard-fought human and civil rights to achieve access and equity — the overwhelming onslaught of these acts have left us collectively stunned .
Separating children from their parents , criminalizing racial and cultural difference while closing the borders of the same nation that brandishes the Statue of Liberty says that this nation is not for the people who built it nor for the ones who have contributed to its growth . The message is clear : those who have sustained the power of wealth and white supremacy are now the economic power brokers tasked with implementing policies and actions that echo the structures and actions of colonialism . Forgotten is the labor of enslaved Africans , and indentured Asian and European workers . Forgotten is the dislocation of Native Americans from their lands . Instead , we are now the unwelcomed and criminalized .
There continues to be a lack of adequate and compassionate response to the colonial possessions of the U . S . Virgin Islands , including my beloved Puerto Rico , and the devastating aftermath and loss of life because of Hurricanes Irma and Maria . Right now , there are still areas where people are homeless , lacking water and energy , and facing increased economic challenges as businesses close . The chains of colonialism , as actualized by the Jones Act , forces these islands to only purchase products from the United States at exaggerated prices , reinforcing the myth of their dependency .
Yet , our creative actions through demonstrations , through rallies at the steps of officialdom or the stoops of El Barrio are art in motion . It is the eye of the artist-photographer that captures those magical moments that bear witness to the greatness of what we have been , are capable of , and are doing for our future . They ignite our imaginary , implore us to assume the responsibility that we must value , fight for , and embrace , truth !
Race , Myth , Art and Justice honors our artists who , through their creative liberated vision , stand for our truth . As I look at the range of their images , I know that we stand ! We stand for the power of creativity and freedom . We stand for justice !
Modupe , to the curators , Grace Aneiza Ali and C . Daniel Dawson , for their standing . Special thanks to Melody Capote , Director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute .
Yes , we stand !
Dr . Marta Moreno Vega Multidisciplinary Intersectional Project Coordinator , Race , Myth , Art and Justice President , Creative Justice Initiative Founder , Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
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