As I look back on my life I see that I have always walked in the space of race. My mother is Mexican American. My father is Caucasian.

The backlash of being shot by a racist serial killer had a profound effect on my life, especially while I was a single mother raising daughters whose father is African American.

I walked a fine line in the space of race during that time.

The background image is the earth with all the satellites of communication surrounding it.
Beehive Satellite Image Credit: European Space Agency

Words to Walking In The Space of Race

Left Side

Obsessed with hatred for interracial marriages many of Joseph Paul Franklins murders were targeted against black & white couples he encountered.

Joseph Paul Franklin has also admitted to threatening President Carter, blowing up synagogues, paralyzing Larry Flint, & shooting Urban League President, Vernon Jordan, Jr. He takes responsibility for shooting more people than he was charged, tried or convicted. He left 4 survivors out of at least 22 victims.

Since the 1970’s Joseph Paul Franklin has been linked or confessed to racially motivated assaults with deadly weapons, bank robbery, bombings & murders.

Ted Fields, 20, & Dave Martin, 18, were best friends, they were African Americans. They are remembered as thoughtful, kind, gregarious, hardworking, lovable, polite, responsible kids with bright futures ahead of them.

August 20, 1980 they jogged to Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, Utah with 2 friends, both “white”, 15 year old girls. Franklin followed them. He hunted them like prey that hot summer night. As they emerged from the park they thought they heard firecrackers. Dave was shot first. The bullet exited his body & shattered on the crosswalk, sending shrapnel to the arms, neck & leg of one of the girls. 8 shots were fired. 2 incredible people were dead. Innocence was murdered for the surviving victims & the deceased family members. Also murdered, were the illusions that “We were safe” “Racism doesn’t happen here in Utah”, “Racism doesn’t effect the innocent”, “If we ignore it, don’t talk about it, it won’t happen to us”.

Right side

When I look at my family & friends, I see them as Life’s perfect union of all that is good in humanity. Our family is like many in our country. We are fortunate to have the rich colorful hues of strong African, Mexican, Indian & Caucasian ancestors that created the ties of who we are physically, emotionally & spiritually. In my ancestry there were slaves & slave owners. We are born from a long line of open-minded love or forced oppression. But by life experience alone I know that love is not the color of skin, it’s the color of water.

Race can be an illusion. It divides or unites. When we look at our ancestry we find that we are the children of one race, the human race. We are made from the same molecules that formed the stars. We are children of the universe. Our colorful essence can’t be contained within the color of skin.

Dr. King said it best in 1963. “Let us all hope the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away & the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities. In some not to distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of love & brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

-Justice For Some? currated by Brolly Arts & Art Access Gallery

Published July 12, 2013 at 9000 × 10800 in Gallery – Click Photo & Scroll Down For Each Art Piece