This morning, when I woke, I felt that old familiar sting of remorse–like a bad hangover–at my possession of an insufficient amount of melanin in my skin and all the evil manifestations of this disgraceful and unfortunate condition (both in myself and in my family members).
Then I went to the New York Times website and saw “Sunny Day White Power,” a 2016 work of art by “Pope.L” (composed on a shower curtain, no less) featured in an article titled “Protest Art in the Era of Trump.” My day was instantly transformed.
It’s a testament to the power of great art that this act of defiance against the rising tide of Trumpian Totalitarianism was, for me, the catalyst for a profound mood change and the planting of a small seed of hope in my hard caucasian heart.
In only a moment I went from a profound regret at my selfish white existence to knowing that my presence here could be a force for good if I could only transform myself into a doormat. I’ll be working on that.
With news that Trump and a heartless Republican Congress are now intent on slashing federal funding for the National Endowment of the Arts, I can only hope that great artists such as Pope.L are not silenced by a dark and sinister wave of fascism that threatens to wash over our fruited plains.
