[Applause] tupac shakur was a visionary a rapper
tupac shakur was a visionary a rapper
tupac shakur was a visionary a rapper and a poet he’s someone who words and
and a poet he’s someone who words and
and a poet he’s someone who words and lyrics captivating the hearts and minds
lyrics captivating the hearts and minds
lyrics captivating the hearts and minds of millions one song in particular
of millions one song in particular
of millions one song in particular captivated mine it was a song title to
captivated mine it was a song title to
captivated mine it was a song title to live and die in LA he said it wouldn’t
live and die in LA he said it wouldn’t
live and die in LA he said it wouldn’t be out leg without Mexicans black love
be out leg without Mexicans black love
be out leg without Mexicans black love brown pride and it sets again you see
brown pride and it sets again you see
brown pride and it sets again you see for the child of a black father and
for the child of a black father and
for the child of a black father and Mexican mother or a black surgeon these
Mexican mother or a black surgeon these
Mexican mother or a black surgeon these words envision a world that I could only
words envision a world that I could only
words envision a world that I could only dream of a world in which I could be
dream of a world in which I could be
dream of a world in which I could be black and brown at the same time in the
black and brown at the same time in the
black and brown at the same time in the middle of a community that was racially
middle of a community that was racially
middle of a community that was racially divided by race but in my struggle to
divided by race but in my struggle to
divided by race but in my struggle to identify I realized one thing I was
identify I realized one thing I was
identify I realized one thing I was never truly alone in the summer of 2014
never truly alone in the summer of 2014
never truly alone in the summer of 2014 I started project called black skins of
I started project called black skins of
I started project called black skins of LA we sought to understand Los Angeles
LA we sought to understand Los Angeles
LA we sought to understand Los Angeles and the experiences of black skins it
and the experiences of black skins it
and the experiences of black skins it integrated social media academic
integrated social media academic
integrated social media academic research and photography and as I
research and photography and as I
research and photography and as I compiled interviews and took more and
compiled interviews and took more and
compiled interviews and took more and more photos I realized that this was
more photos I realized that this was
more photos I realized that this was part of a larger movement you see this
part of a larger movement you see this
part of a larger movement you see this country is becoming increasingly
country is becoming increasingly
country is becoming increasingly multiracial multi-ethnic and
multiracial multi-ethnic and
multiracial multi-ethnic and multilingual by it
multilingual by it
multilingual by it every single day in the 1970s one
every single day in the 1970s one
every single day in the 1970s one percent of all children born were
percent of all children born were
percent of all children born were multiracial today it’s about 12% while
multiracial today it’s about 12% while
multiracial today it’s about 12% while this may seem novel a cursory glance
this may seem novel a cursory glance
this may seem novel a cursory glance through Wratten America’s racial history
through Wratten America’s racial history
through Wratten America’s racial history shows us that this experience has been
shows us that this experience has been
shows us that this experience has been happening for centuries when the Spanish
happening for centuries when the Spanish
happening for centuries when the Spanish colonized the Americas and Mexico in
colonized the Americas and Mexico in
colonized the Americas and Mexico in particular they devised a pictorial
particular they devised a pictorial
particular they devised a pictorial representation of race and multi racial
representation of race and multi racial
representation of race and multi racial identity a system of paintings called
identity a system of paintings called
identity a system of paintings called las Casas mascots does characterize
las Casas mascots does characterize
las Casas mascots does characterize people according to their phenotype or
people according to their phenotype or
people according to their phenotype or characteristics hair texture skin tone
characteristics hair texture skin tone
characteristics hair texture skin tone and others as well
and others as well
and others as well names were given to people like lotta
names were given to people like lotta
names were given to people like lotta lotto Pardo Lobo misty psalmist ISA and
lotto Pardo Lobo misty psalmist ISA and
lotto Pardo Lobo misty psalmist ISA and countless others it was an experience I
countless others it was an experience I
countless others it was an experience I carried over to the founding of this
carried over to the founding of this
carried over to the founding of this very city you see Los Angeles was
very city you see Los Angeles was
very city you see Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by a group of afro
founded in 1781 by a group of afro
founded in 1781 by a group of afro Mexican settlers indigenous folks and
Mexican settlers indigenous folks and
Mexican settlers indigenous folks and Spanish it was a group of people who in
Spanish it was a group of people who in
Spanish it was a group of people who in many ways could have been black students
many ways could have been black students
many ways could have been black students themselves it’s an experience that
themselves it’s an experience that
themselves it’s an experience that carries over to this very day Amanda was
carries over to this very day Amanda was
carries over to this very day Amanda was born and raised in East LA in a
born and raised in East LA in a
born and raised in East LA in a predominantly Mexican home to a Mexican
predominantly Mexican home to a Mexican
predominantly Mexican home to a Mexican single mother she experienced anti black
single mother she experienced anti black
single mother she experienced anti black racism both in her home and outside of
racism both in her home and outside of
racism both in her home and outside of it it wasn’t until she got older that
it it wasn’t until she got older that
it it wasn’t until she got older that she realized that what she was
she realized that what she was
she realized that what she was experiencing was not a reflection of her
experiencing was not a reflection of her
experiencing was not a reflection of her own story or experience but really the
own story or experience but really the
own story or experience but really the faults of others or Richard a
faults of others or Richard a
faults of others or Richard a self-identified Afro Mexican whose
self-identified Afro Mexican whose
self-identified Afro Mexican whose parents instilled a deep sense of pride
parents instilled a deep sense of pride
parents instilled a deep sense of pride in him to be both after an
in him to be both after an
in him to be both after an afro-descendant and also indigenous in
afro-descendant and also indigenous in
afro-descendant and also indigenous in the world today he’s a prominent
the world today he’s a prominent
the world today he’s a prominent filmmaker in Los Angeles but what does
filmmaker in Los Angeles but what does
filmmaker in Los Angeles but what does it mean to be a woman to be black to be
it mean to be a woman to be black to be
it mean to be a woman to be black to be brown and to be Muslim in his current
brown and to be Muslim in his current
brown and to be Muslim in his current political racial climate you see my
political racial climate you see my
political racial climate you see my Reece story pushes boundaries and allows
Reece story pushes boundaries and allows
Reece story pushes boundaries and allows us to think about political and racial
us to think about political and racial
us to think about political and racial coalition’s in a way and has not been
coalition’s in a way and has not been
coalition’s in a way and has not been possible but this is also a story about
possible but this is also a story about
possible but this is also a story about Eurasian what does it mean to grow up
Eurasian what does it mean to grow up
Eurasian what does it mean to grow up your entire life believing that the
your entire life believing that the
your entire life believing that the people who raised you your mother and
people who raised you your mother and
people who raised you your mother and father were both non black Mexicans and
father were both non black Mexicans and
father were both non black Mexicans and then realizing one day that your father
then realizing one day that your father
then realizing one day that your father was actually african-american and your
was actually african-american and your
was actually african-american and your mother lied to you for fear the fear of
mother lied to you for fear the fear of
mother lied to you for fear the fear of you being isolated and marginalized from
you being isolated and marginalized from
you being isolated and marginalized from the rest
the rest
the rest family this is Maggie story but it’s not
family this is Maggie story but it’s not
family this is Maggie story but it’s not just about pain and trauma it’s also
just about pain and trauma it’s also
just about pain and trauma it’s also about accommodation and sometimes joy
about accommodation and sometimes joy
about accommodation and sometimes joy you see Maria’s parents met on a public
you see Maria’s parents met on a public
you see Maria’s parents met on a public bus in the early 1980s in South Los
bus in the early 1980s in South Los
bus in the early 1980s in South Los Angeles Maria’s father was a bus driver
Angeles Maria’s father was a bus driver
Angeles Maria’s father was a bus driver and her mother took his bus every single
and her mother took his bus every single
and her mother took his bus every single morning to work there was an instant
morning to work there was an instant
morning to work there was an instant connection love at first sight we can
connection love at first sight we can
connection love at first sight we can say but there was one problem Maria’s
say but there was one problem Maria’s
say but there was one problem Maria’s father didn’t speak a word of Spanish
father didn’t speak a word of Spanish
father didn’t speak a word of Spanish and her mother didn’t speak a word of
and her mother didn’t speak a word of
and her mother didn’t speak a word of English so it took her father six months
English so it took her father six months
English so it took her father six months to learn how to ask her out on a date in
to learn how to ask her out on a date in
to learn how to ask her out on a date in Spanish which she agreed to and it took
Spanish which she agreed to and it took
Spanish which she agreed to and it took him another six months to learn how to
him another six months to learn how to
him another six months to learn how to ask her to marry him but she also agreed
ask her to marry him but she also agreed
ask her to marry him but she also agreed to you see but it’s also about what it
to you see but it’s also about what it
to you see but it’s also about what it means to grow up in a community that
means to grow up in a community that
means to grow up in a community that forces you to pick sides for a lot of
forces you to pick sides for a lot of
forces you to pick sides for a lot of blacks in South Central Los Angeles
blacks in South Central Los Angeles
blacks in South Central Los Angeles their experiences were deeply divided
their experiences were deeply divided
their experiences were deeply divided along racial ties memo is someone who
along racial ties memo is someone who
along racial ties memo is someone who grew up in South Los Angeles at a time
grew up in South Los Angeles at a time
grew up in South Los Angeles at a time that was clearly divided by race and in
that was clearly divided by race and in
that was clearly divided by race and in structural racism it wasn’t until he got
structural racism it wasn’t until he got
structural racism it wasn’t until he got older that he realized that it was never
older that he realized that it was never
older that he realized that it was never a question of either or a really a
a question of either or a really a
a question of either or a really a question of hand for memo it was about
question of hand for memo it was about
question of hand for memo it was about being black and brown at the same time
but while this story in this project is
but while this story in this project is about faces and the environment it’s
about faces and the environment it’s
about faces and the environment it’s also about the power of hands and what
also about the power of hands and what
also about the power of hands and what we can carry it in our hands
we can carry it in our hands
we can carry it in our hands sometimes it’s trauma and pain and
sometimes it’s trauma and pain and
sometimes it’s trauma and pain and memory and history and sometimes it’s
memory and history and sometimes it’s
memory and history and sometimes it’s photos of our parents you see what can
photos of our parents you see what can
photos of our parents you see what can how can Hands bring together worlds and
how can Hands bring together worlds and
how can Hands bring together worlds and people in a way that word and social
people in a way that word and social
people in a way that word and social movements cannot
but while this is very much a story
but while this is very much a story about Los Angeles and racial dynamics
about Los Angeles and racial dynamics
about Los Angeles and racial dynamics and identity throughout Los Angeles the
and identity throughout Los Angeles the
and identity throughout Los Angeles the black skinned experience can tell us so
black skinned experience can tell us so
black skinned experience can tell us so much about the future of race and
much about the future of race and
much about the future of race and identity in the US since early 1990s
identity in the US since early 1990s
identity in the US since early 1990s Latino immigrants have immigrated to
Latino immigrants have immigrated to
Latino immigrants have immigrated to places like Alabama Georgia North
places like Alabama Georgia North
places like Alabama Georgia North Carolina and living and working
Carolina and living and working
Carolina and living and working alongside African Americans and
alongside African Americans and
alongside African Americans and oftentimes replicating some of the very
oftentimes replicating some of the very
oftentimes replicating some of the very experiences and trends found in Los
experiences and trends found in Los
experiences and trends found in Los Angeles
Angeles
Angeles with black skins and black and rock
with black skins and black and rock
with black skins and black and rock communities when I first met Ken Sophia
communities when I first met Ken Sophia
communities when I first met Ken Sophia and Alejandra in the summer of 2015 I
and Alejandra in the summer of 2015 I
and Alejandra in the summer of 2015 I was instantly captivated by the love and
was instantly captivated by the love and
was instantly captivated by the love and intimacy that they shared for one
intimacy that they shared for one
intimacy that they shared for one another it was deeply moving but I
another it was deeply moving but I
another it was deeply moving but I wanted to know one thing I wanted to
wanted to know one thing I wanted to
wanted to know one thing I wanted to know what it would mean to raise a black
know what it would mean to raise a black
know what it would mean to raise a black skinned daughter in this current
skinned daughter in this current
skinned daughter in this current political and racial climate their
political and racial climate their
political and racial climate their response Florida me they said we will
response Florida me they said we will
response Florida me they said we will teach her to be explicitly black and
teach her to be explicitly black and
teach her to be explicitly black and explicitly brown there is no other way
explicitly brown there is no other way
explicitly brown there is no other way as 2043 continues to be a moment that
as 2043 continues to be a moment that
as 2043 continues to be a moment that that social scientists predict that
that social scientists predict that
that social scientists predict that there will be more people of color than
there will be more people of color than
there will be more people of color than white Americans in this country for some
white Americans in this country for some
white Americans in this country for some that brings trepidation and anxiety or
that brings trepidation and anxiety or
that brings trepidation and anxiety or even fear for others that brings joy
even fear for others that brings joy
even fear for others that brings joy promise and hope but for families like
promise and hope but for families like
promise and hope but for families like Ken Alejandra Dez and Sofia’s and the
Ken Alejandra Dez and Sofia’s and the
Ken Alejandra Dez and Sofia’s and the city of Los Angeles and the people
city of Los Angeles and the people
city of Los Angeles and the people behind me 20:43 has already arrived
behind me 20:43 has already arrived
behind me 20:43 has already arrived thank you
thank you
thank you you
you
you [Applause]
”
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