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The story of our migration is ongoing. Feeling inspired? Share your #Panel61

In the final, 60th panel of The Migration Series, Jacob Lawrence leaves us with the words “And the migrants kept coming.” Today, more than 70 years later, Lawrence’s epic narrative continues to have powerful reverberations.

Your #Panel61 by Shadazia Williams

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Shadazia
Williams

In my piece you can see the image of a black girl scrolling through her social media feed and being bombarded by the images of famous white women such as Kim Kardashian wearing African-American style braids. This is just an example of some of the blatant signs of cultural appropriation that African-Americans face. It’s hard to be yourself and be comfortable when you take part in your culture when it is looked down on or called ugly. But, as soon as a white woman does it - it’s so innovative. You can see the media comments - “Wow! - as that is what we see when we type in “tribal braids” and see Kardashian instead of a black woman. This has been part of African tradition for years. Also, there are more instances where black boys state they don’t like black women or want something “new.” The word “culture” on my work is colored in the colors of African American History Month where we celebrate the meaning of our background and heritage. The background of my piece is yellow because it is another prime color of African flags. Lastly, the girl who is holding the phone relates to the post as you can see her braids in her profile picture.

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