Ethnic Studies in Every School

I painted this as the second in a series of paintings like it and LOVE LOVE LOVE how it came out. I get in a rut sometimes and returning to this subject matter and composition really helped me do my thing and get loose. About the content of the painting. I painted several young people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds using acrylic paint and the color purple.

What is Ethnic Studies? Short version is that US history is Eurocentric and throughout time either mis-characterized, ignored, or completely barred stories and history from African American, Native American, Latinxs, and Asian Americans. I throw in Middle Eastern families as well. In the late 60s San Francisco State University (my 1st college) and then UC Berkeley were the first schools in the US to create college departments that housed teachers and courses dedicated to some of this knowledge. And to be frank, it is not just about a diverse we are the world photo. It’s a bout understanding systems, power, challenging that, and changing the narrative. And that is why some are terrified of it.

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• Tougaloo 9
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• Shock G