My wish: use art to turn the world inside out. –JR
Like many, I am devastated by news of systemic racism in the U.S. But the unfortunate reality is that the most recent injustices are nothing new. These inequities have existed long before Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland—and the list of names speaks volumes to their persistence.
In times of crisis, I look to art as my therapy. I would thus like to share a piece honoring Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the Black Lives Movement.
You are welcome (and encouraged) to download this piece and share it on your website or social channels. I am not asking for money. And though not necessary, I would appreciate it if you credited me (Joyce Chou, @joycedrawz on Instagram, or @joycewchou on Twitter) as the creator of this piece.
Beyond simply posting an image, I also encourage you to share information for learning and taking actionable steps to address this injustice. Please consider sharing the following resources:
- American Civil Liberties Union – Nonprofit founded to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States
- Black Visions Collective – Focused on developing Minnesota’s emerging black leadership
- Black Table Arts – Organization focused on gathering black communities through the arts
- Bail Project – Founded to combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system by paying bail for people in need, reuniting families, and restoring the presumption of innocence
- Know Your Rights Camp – Launched by Colin Kaepernick to empower and educate POC youth on interacting with law enforcement
- Campaign Zero – Provides research and data-driven policy solutions to end police brutality for safer communities
- The Loveland Foundation – Organization that provides mental health support for black women and girls
- Ben & Jerry’s “7 Ways We Know Systemic Racism Is Real” – An informative and educational article for those unfamiliar with the term “systemic racism”
Lastly, you can find more art from an incredible variety of artists by searching #blacklivesmatterart on Twitter. It raises my spirits to see so many creators of different backgrounds incorporating activism into their artwork.