As a student who has been attending FFCA for seven years, I have been taught to show character and take leadership roles throughout my life. When witnessing the circumstances of the past few weeks, I knew I needed to make a difference and spread a message, and decided to do so through a medium familiar and comforting to me: art. As Edgar Degas once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Recent events have appalled, upset, and stunned many of us - events that have been occurring for far too long and have no place within a world of peace, respect, and justice. I’m sure everyone is aware of the incident that occurred on May 25, and the many other tragedies that have occurred just within the mere three weeks since the brutal killing of George Floyd. The world is in a state of mourning during this time, but the amount of people speaking up against these injustices is meaningful nonetheless. From big corporations to individuals like myself, the world has taken notice and is demanding justice for past events, and commands the reparation of policing systems in the future.
Through my Pandemic Impact Leadership Project, I wanted to channel my connection and support for the Black Lives Matter movement into my work. I decided to fill the symbol for the movement (the fist) with the names of just some of the innocent victims. The sheer amount of names I wrote down was alarming, and upon reading the stories of each of these individuals, I was heartbroken and crushed.
https://www.tiktok.com/@paperbacc/video/6832454766195412230
Within the past week, the video I posted has amassed over 1.5 million views from people all over the world. I am extremely grateful for the fact that my message managed to reach so many others who will not stand for inequality, prejudice, and injustice.
I hope that if these events or circumstances leave you feeling unsettled, that you take the time to reach out to someone and do your part in spreading awareness and championing equality. I also hope that you are inspired to spread a positive, supportive message to others during this solemn time.
FFCA High School Grade 12 student.