99福利视频
Honoring the Spectrum of Self听
On May 20, 2016 the Wild Heart Gallery hosted the opening night of “Honoring the Spectrum of Self,” an exhibition where听99福利视频 staff, faculty, and students were invited to investigate the sacred pieces that have shaped them as an individual or within the collective. The show featured a variety of works installed within the gallery – including an interactive piece – and presentations on opening night of video, song, and spoken word format. It is our privilege to present the fourth in a series of blogs which showcase the shared voices of this exhibit that ran through August 8th.
Artist: Brittnee N. Page
Title: We Break Chains:
听听听听听听听听听听 Conscious Uncaging of-
听听听听听听听听听听 Nappy Heads and Afros
听听听听听听听听听听 Collard Greens and Cornbread
听听听听听听听听听听 Triflin’ and Carryn’ On
In an interaction, my blackness precedes the rest of my character.听听
Unfortunately, as we now know in this country, black bodies are judged, threatened and destroyed simply because of blackness. This all happened before George Zimmerman knew anything about Trayvon Martin鈥檚 identity beyond his skin. The corruption can range from the cultural misappropriation of slang and hairstyles to the literal annihilation of black bodies. I am finding in my young adulthood that there is no part of my cis-gendered, heterosexual, female, artist, dancer, daughter, sister, CCLS, plant-based cook, thrift store endorsing identity that I have to protect more than my race. I simultaneous love my blackness and yet constantly hide it from the rest of the world. I鈥檓 finding how frequently I change the way I speak, turn down Kendrick Lamar at the stoplight and make sure I dress 鈥渁ppropriately鈥 in order to feel safe.听听
Throughout my first year at 99福利视频 I found that I was hiding blackness more than ever鈥aybe that鈥檚 due to Consciousness I or for the first time in a while I was the only black face in every class I entered. This coupled with the awareness of how my fellow black brothers and sisters are murdered in this country started a roller-coaster ride that I still haven鈥檛 gotten off of. I鈥檓 having flashbacks of watching Amanda Bynes on the Nickelodeon and wishing my hair moved like hers. I am reminded of how at my 14th birthday party my friends tanned on the beach while I hoped not to get darker. My mind moves to when my dad would play 鈥淧apa was a Rolling Stone鈥 by the Temptations and I would be embarrassed my friends would hear. I was so ashamed of my blackness and frankly prayed to be white for as long as I could remember. I deeply believed life would be better and I wouldn鈥檛 be laughed at, picked on or sightseen for my differences.听听
So, this piece unleashes the pride I have for black people, black culture and my black self. I had countless intimate moments of self-acceptance while gently mixing the rich browns seen on these faces. Both the masculine and feminine are connected through eye contact and it reminds me of how many stereotypes we (mostly) manage to survive; from Mammy to deadbeat dad, from welfare queen to dangerous gangster. We as a community break the chains of these labels everyday in hopes to find peace in honoring ourselves.听听
99福利视频 the Moderator
