This Ain’t No Video Game, We Want Outta This Circus
by Simone Saunders (Calgary) and Tekikki Walker (Cleveland)
Simone Saunders
IT MATTERS 1
(hand-tufted textile)
Tekikki Walker
02: For the Eye What Does for the Ear: Topsy Turvy and the Black Lamb
(surreal digital art)
Tekikki Walker
01: The campaign of the trousseau: a conduit, a gag, a faux pas, and a war
(surreal digital art)
Simone Saunders
IT MATTERS 2
(hand-tufted textile)
“A recent report of a police officer following young black men who wore masks while shopping has amplified fears among people of color of being profiled as criminals or gang members. Civil rights leaders, politicians and community activists worry that concerns of racial bias will discourage black people from wearing masks to protect themselves and others, further increasing their exposure to a virus that is disproportionately infecting and killing African Americans”. - The Washington Post
A collaboration reflecting on race and the pandemic between artists Tekikki Walker and Simone Saunders has crossed borders.
Simone and Tekikki talk about the process of long distance collaboration, and the stunning work that came from it.
Tekikki Walker
I’m a black woman from the West Side of Chicago. I come from a space where many folks have little to no adequate resources to sustain themselves. There is a long history of poverty, gang violence, homelessness, and drug abuse. Some neighborhoods are like food deserts with liquor stores and churches adjacent to each other. The corner store is the holy grail for a quick refreshment. Medical clinics, hospitals, and mental healthcare access is far and few in the immediate areas that might need them the most. On large cross streets such as Madison Boulevard, there are mostly off-brand and some name-brand clothing stores marketed towards the community. The numbers of gang shootings and police profiling continue to rise.
This is one snapshot of how underrepresented communities such as black people in America might feel.
Systemic racism and oppression have the ability to leave many feeling voiceless in the midst of crises, acknowledged or not. Simone and I decided to utilize Kip Diggs’ quote from the Washington Post to highlight issues of racism that are equally present during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diggs’ notes a conscious choice to wear bandanas in non-offensive colors as a way to protect himself from the virus and the potential of being profiled as a criminal or gang member by the police. This has stemmed from a number of reports of black people being followed by officers during their casual shopping trips. For example, two black men were followed by an officer at a Walmart in Woodford, Illinois. The officer had his hand on his gun the entire time and escorted them off the premises. One of the men shared a YouTube video about the incident that happened in March.
It says a lot for someone like Diggs, a marketing consultant, to think about the ramifications that stems from stereotyping and how one’s appearance or wardrobe could warrant danger in the face of another crisis. He chose the colors Carolina blue, pink, and lime green to appear less menacing. What is meant for protection can also make one feel as though they are prey. This isn’t a new experience for many black people in America. We are often taught to shrink ourselves, alter our appearances, and monitor our behaviors to fit within the rest of society that benefits from the normalcy of its privilege. In what world does it make it okay for black bodies to continue to be harassed while equally at risk during a crisis such as COVID-19. Will things always feel like we’re teetering between the hope for a utopia lifestyle with dystopian views?
Check out Tekikki’s portfolio as well as her featured post on this site.
Click the images below for a closer view.
In our work, Simone and I wanted to take an individualistic approach to interpret what the quote meant and how racism festers even during a pandemic. I’m grateful for such a great experience to discuss the difference between Canadian and American culture, and how the approach to the pandemic might differ across the border.
Here is the article to our inspiration by the Washington Post:
Simone Saunders
As a woman of colour living in Canada, I am humbled to acknowledge my privilege, residing in a place that offers accessible health care. To be in an urban setting festering with conservatism and systemic racism, I am, however, grateful for frontline workers and knowing that if I struck ill, I would receive the care that I need. This service is instrumental at a time like this, fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain the strength of a nation. And there are marginalized groups within my community - our Indigenous peoples - who are not granted equitable care. And I think of our American neighbors, I want to connect and sympathize with what they are going through. We are all hurting at various degrees, many suffering from unfair disadvantages. Black bodies throughout history have been oppressed and it is important to highlight that this continues in the pandemic, Black people continue to be mistreated. This virus knows no colour nor creed and yet humanity perpetuates hatred.
Not everyone is afforded safety, which is their right: to wear a mask, to protect oneself. This is encouraged by both the American and Canadian governments, and many people of colour - men in particular - do not feel safe entering public spaces while wearing a mask. Kip Diggs, an African American man interviewed in the Washington Post, mentioned that he creates his masks, “pink, lime green, Carolina blue so I don’t look menacing. I want to take a lot of that stigma and risk out as best I can.” Within our collaboration, Tekikki and I decided to use these three colours as a foundation for creating our respective pieces, while drawing inspiration from the Washington Post article.
Showcasing our collaboration in the Social Distancing Festival brings voice to the inequality and racism that is prevalent within marginalized groups throughout this pandemic.
Check out Simone’s website, her instagram, and her featured post on this site.
Click the images below for a closer view.
