“Ghosts of the Past” is an analysis of why Black Americans are dying at a disproportionate rate from the coronavirus. From the legacy of Slavery, to the Jim Crow Era, to Redlining, to mass incarceration, to police brutality, and to many more systems of racial discrimination and injustice – these are a few of the many reasons why we are dying from this virus. These ghosts of the past and systems of the present are what is causing the underlying health conditions, the inadequate access to healthcare, the medical racism, and so much more. From chains to a noose to handcuffs, racism has never vanished. But it has evolved.
“Who Protects the Youth” is meant to speak to the effects on the mental health of black youth in today’s society, especially in light of recent events. During an age of technology, videos of black death add to the daily trauma that black youth are forced to endure. From Emmett Till to Rodney King to George Floyd and countless other names, these vivid and violent images and videos of pain and suffering have been circulated around all forms of media. The constant circulation of these images lead to the desensitization of non-black consumers, yet detract from the well-being of black people.
Bio
Alexis Rogers is an illustrator and painter living in Willingboro, NJ. She makes afrocentric art that analyzes the beauty, the struggle, and everything in between that makes up the Black Experience in America.
