Recently my Conceptual Practices professor assigned a project, the only instructions being to create a work of art that targeted a specific audience and considered a subject that has affected my life. Racism was the first thing that came to mind. I chose American citizens to be my audience, as racism is such a prominent occurrence in this country. How has racism affected my life, you may as?. After all, I am a caucasian woman in America.

I grew up on the small island of St. Croix, U.S.V.I. where African Americans make up a majority of the population and whites are the minority. I was raised in such a culturally diverse environment where differences among people were appreciated rather than criticized. Don’t get me wrong, racism was existing in St. Croix, but not to the extent it is in the United States.

My biggest hardship upon moving to the U.S. in middle school was the lack of diversity and being immediately exposed to the increased hatred and judgments among people regarding differences in religion, origin, and skin color. The concept was relatively foreign to me. I was ignorant; how could someone harm another, verbally or physically, just because they are different?

I confided in friends and family; some didn’t wish to touch on the issue, some were so accustomed that they didn’t even notice the severity, some denied, and some agreed. The most surprising and intriguing response was, “that’s just how it is”.

At a young age, I decided I would not become accustomed and I most certainly would not accept that ‘that’s just how it is’. Although I will never understand what it is like to be one of a different color, I can and will empathize and advocate for their rights. Artwork is a powerful and effective way to do so. This bottled up anger and passion regarding racism and equality was my inspiration for my project.

When presenting the project, I received various appreciative comments and comments of agreement. However, I also received glares and expressions of distaste. In my oral reflection I made the point that we all are all guilty of contributing to inequality in our country in some shape or form; whether it’s by doing something or not doing enough.

I hope to build off this piece and continue to create art that addresses extrusive problems in our country. I encourage others; artists or not, to use their talents to accomplish the same goal. Call me naïve, but I do believe that the dream of equality in America can become a reality.