This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew, is an autobiographical story that depicts what life is like for a Black Woman trying to find her footing in this intimidating world of art. In class, we discussed the discrepancies between Black and White people in the arts and I was not surprised by the hardships Kimberly faced unlike her white counterparts. Although it is very saddening to see, this is the norm for people of color in all different fields of study and her story is so important because it puts things into perspective for people who otherwise wouldn’t have known what it's like to be black in America. In her story, she recalls a meeting she has with the director of her art history program, and he tells her, “If you wanted to be in a classroom with other students of color then you should have not enrolled in art history classes.” Now, although I mentioned I was not surprised by the hardships Kimberly had to face because racism is imbedded in Americas system, I was definitely caught off guard by the fact her art advisor, someone who is supposed to be in a professional prestigious position would say such a horrible thing to her. There is no color of skin that is associated with art and telling a student this can have such a negative impact on how they view the subject.
Reading Kimberly's story reminded me of the Danielle Scott exhibition so I included this paragraph from one of the books.
This is almost the same effect that Bell Hooks talks about in “Understanding Patriarchy.” She explains the ideology of patriarchy that her elders tried to push on her and the effect it had on her. She says, “As their daughter, I was taught that it was my role to serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking, to caretake and nurture others.” Just like Kimberly’s art director, telling someone this can make them feel devalued and out of place. In class one of my classmates spoke about the way that our parents and older people in general perpetuate these ridiculous ideologies about how the world works without thinking about the effect it has on other people. We live in a wonderful world where people of color and woman can participate in whatever they put their minds to, and this has had a tremendous impact on society.
I believe authors, historians, curators, artists, etc..., are the most important activists in society because they bridge the gap between the problem at hand and societies way of viewing and coming to a solution for the problem. It is much easier and fun to walk into a gallery that Kimberly curated and learn about the black experience in America than to turn on your TV and see another innocent black man murdered at the hands of police. Although both are real and important experiences that can move a person to make change, art has a way of captivating and inspiring people to learn more about the subject at hand. A quote from Kimberly’s story that personally moved me and made me think was when she said,” "Being Black in America is frequently measured against the proximity of death” This was an “Aha” moment for me personally because I've always thought this but never could find the right phrase to describe it.
Image I found On Kimberly's Tumblr by Jessica Spence titled "Sore Arms" that I loved.
In chapter 10 of Siegler's book there is a picture of two children holding up a sign that says, “Am I next?” and it is heartbreaking to think that this is what black people have to think about when getting pulled over or going to the grocery store. This means so much to me personally because I have many black friends and although we may not talk about It all the time, I know these thoughts are racing through their minds whenever we get pulled over or are going into a town, we know we don’t “belong” in. I personally know someone who has gotten shot by the police (he was unarmed and survived) and I have been in situations where my black friends are treated horribly by the police or some racist store owner who follows us around while we are shopping. In The Art of Activism by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, they explain this perfectly by saying, “You will have your own unique story of what lead you to step off the curb. Whatever it was, it was likely a powerful experience.” I have seen injustice in my community when it came to black people my entire life and It wasn’t until George Floyd’s passing that I “stepped off the curb.” I attended all the George Floyd protests in NY and even one in Hoboken and that was an experience I will never forget. Although I did not know him personally, I knew that my friends could've been in his position, and it angered me so much that another unarmed black man was murdered at the hands of the police.
Picture from Siegler's book Signs of Resistance.
Because I am an aspiring fashion designer, I plan to use my voice and platform to make people think about issues such as police brutality and do it in a way that catches people's attention but doesn’t take away from the actual clothing. Activism and fashion are so closely interconnected and there are plenty of examples of designers using their platforms to create change. Although I already planned on using activism in my work, taking this class and reading these stories really inspired me to use my voice in a positive way. The world is far from perfect, and I don’t think it will ever be, but if everyone is aware of these issues and takes action to remedy them, we are one step closer to living in harmony.
Duncombe, S., & Lambert, S. (2021). The Art of Activism: Your All-Purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible.
Drew, K. (2020). This Is What I Know About Art. Penguin.
Siegler, B. (2018). Signs of Resistance: A Visual History of Protest in America.
Hooks, B. (2004). The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love.
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