colored pencil, graphite and ink; 20×16″
“My art piece addresses Racial Trauma in Schools. It helps explain how racial trauma, rooted in the ideology of white supremacy, has significant implications, affecting the physical and mental well-being of African American students.
Harvard research utilizing MRI scans revealed tangible effects on the brains of African American children subjected to racial trauma, and thus the long-term impact of trauma on individuals and society. My piece depicts a black girl facing herself in a mirror, surrounded by diverse hands symbolizing the societal grip on African American students. It aims to convey the harsh reality of racial trauma while highlighting the outdated nature of its persistence in schools. Through my artwork I strive to contribute to a more inclusive and empathetic future, to societal progress.”
ARTIST BIO: Brandon Crooks is a grade 11 student at Butler Tech School of Art studying art under art teacher Mary Catherine Ruby.