inheritance Details

Inheritance is a culmination of years of research into family history and slavery, exploration of spaces, and many sleepless nights of thoughts. It is a work that asks much of me in terms of my admitted whiteness. It begs exploration and transparency into my own self as well as the relationships that I have with the people I love, who happen to be white. Inheritance is an exercise in coming to terms with the handed-down racism that I know to be inherent within myself. It is a work that bespeaks open communication, of thought, and is a collection that echoes past lives, the ancestors who enslaved, the living ancestors who continue the white narrative today, and the ignorant things I have done to perpetuate my own whiteness.

While the series composes itself as statements, neither here nor there, all of these statements are true. It unfolds to ask these personal questions:

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Why do I love those who are racist?
How can I love those who are racist and still be accepted by society?
How do I make my white family understand their racism?
How do I convey a message of importance, education, and humility?
How do I work to be a better white person?
How do I admit my faults and move forward?
How do I make amends for the trauma my family inflicts on the black and native communities?

How do I speak about whiteness from a personal level and remain open to discussions?
Is there a way to heal the wounds, we as white people, continue to cause?
How can I find commonality between people, our experiences, and our thoughts?

What does it mean to be white in America today?

How do we learn to accept our role in the terrible history of our country?

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