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had a great experience collaborating with photographer Arlene Mejorado on the “Defend Dignity” art for Amplifier’s WE THE PEOPLE campaign, so I was excited to work with her again on art for my show DAMAGED. Arlene shared some other photos including one of her friend William C. Anderson holding up a flower. I really liked the peaceful photo as a counter-point to the fear-mongering around Black Lives Matter and the subtle and overt racism toward African Americans in general. We need to move forward and embrace justice and equality rather than moving backward by stoking hate and division. Thanks for caring! – Shepard
The portrait I made is of my friend William C. Anderson, a writer and activist from Birmingham, Alabama. He is the co-author of As Black as Resistance (AK Press.) In Anderson’s words, “We have to embrace our understanding of what’s good for us rather than accept the terms issued by those who can’t possibly comprehend our interests because they don’t share our lived experiences.” To me, embracing justice is having the power to define our destiny and build the world we want to live in; it is to be an accomplice to movements that push for liberation. Uprooting oppressive institutions that undermine people’s wellbeing is the inevitable means to the substantial evolution needed for real progress. Love, compassion, and self-determination are at the heart of justice and liberation both, which should flourish to our benefit. – Arlene
Check out Arlene Mejorado’s recently released book Femme Frontera.
