The piece shows a figure gesturing in a field, an art historical reference that figures greatly in the artist's work. Text painted at the top of the image reads, “Freedom is not guaranteed.” Recognizing that for Black descendants of North American chattel slavery, freedoms have been captured only through great struggle, this work points to the founding structure of the United States, the legacy of slavery, the construction of race, the failure of emancipation and how they continue to affect our lives today.
This piece was originally displayed in South Dakota as a part of For Freedoms' 2018 campaign, the 50 States Initiative. Presented in partnership with For Freedoms.