The Blk Child: Our New Superhero (Opening Reception)

A Black woman – "The reality is that our children's existence in this country is slowly being stripped away! They are forced to wake up every day to attend poor quality schools with poor quality lunches, and are taught by teachers that do not look like them heck or me– ‘to sit, do not talk; raise your hands, wait not right now; no questions but you better answer!’ Stripping our Black children of their superpowers! Superpowers that our ancestors carried across the oceans, into the fields, and through the doors of colleges and universities; the same powers that our great grandparents fought with to exist in this country as Black Americans—that gave us our Black athletes, Black leaders and icons; that fought against police brutality and stood in the streets ‘with the heat’ as self-defense; that fought for the Black vote and said yes to the first Black president! We, Black women artists as a community, must continue, despite the internal and external hatred "they," "we," and "us" have for our Black skin, to lift our little superheroes in the air—higher and higher. We are to remove the smog—the pain, the hate, and the rage in our society—that prevents their little eyes and hands from soaring high in the sky. We are to wipe away the tears with our paint brushes and whisper, “Try again, Black child.” Black children deserve to grow — and be the superheroes they were meant to be.” - Ms.Joli, Curator & Cultural Journalist