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                                              TITLE: “ENOUGH and DETERMINED”

                                                           by Dwayne M. Daniel

 

Media: Acrylic Paint on Canvas
Size: 30″ x 40″ x 2” and  40" x 30" x 2" Framed
Hue: Color
Copyright 2021
Price: $4,00.00 ea.
 

 

Artist Statement:

‘ENOUGH’ and ‘DETERMINED’

 ‘Enough’ and ‘Determined’ are acrylic, impasto-style paintings that depict the

Frustration that erupted in American cities after the murder of, unarmed, Mr. George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. The paintings illustrate the visceral responses to the ugly residuals left from history that has been — too often — ignored, hidden, or swept-under-the-rug. The 8 minutes and 46 seconds that the Minneapolis police officer dug his knee into Mr. Floyd’s neck is symbolic of the 96 years between the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 

Extreme abuse and racism has been exposed by the brave women: Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley and Darnella Frazier. Like Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley (mother of Emmett Till who insisted that her son’s casket be open during the funeral for the world to witness the results of the brutality that was inflicted upon her 14-year-old son), the brave 17-year-old Darnella Frazier filmed and posted the incident that led to Mr. George Floyd's death. Both incidents shocked the conscience of the country and the world into action. The heart and soul of racism is ignorance.

 

We must do all we can to raise the level of awareness to the historical inequities that contribute to that ignorance. Historical awareness has the power to liberate black people from the bondage of feeling inadequate and unworthy. The whole truth about the history of America, The United States of America and its black citizen, also, has the power to liberate most white people from the feeling of racial superiority and entitlement. Historical awareness is the prescribed medicine that will begin the healing process for our country and allow it to move forward with its citizens truly understanding “All men (and women) are created equal”.

 

                                                                                   DWAYNE M. DANIEL