If we are going to heal, let it be glorious
Digital collage. I used Jet Magazine, a weekly magazine centered on news, entertainment, and pop culture within the Black American community, to gather headlines about Emmett Till's death and the trial. In the forefront of the collage are Black women featured on the front covers of Jet, many of whose pictures were side by side with the Emmett Till headlines. I had various thoughts while creating this piece: Black people have continued to remain beautiful through murder and death. However, often, lighter-skinned and thin women are put on the front cover of our community publications. How is that any different than the status quo? Black resistance and storytelling have always been alive in our communities, and I pray we continue to keep that legacy going. What did my paternal grandmother, who was born and raised in Mississippi and had migrated to Chicago at the time of Emmett Till's murder, feel? Was it anxiety, numbness, fear, sadness? All the things I feel today when I see Black people killed and harmed nationally and globally. Emmett Till should be here with us today.
Candace Hairston
"Which of the three cities (Nashville, New York, Chicago) do you identify with the most and why?"
Chicago
**Candace Hairston** is a "wannabee" collage artist who hails from the Bronx, NY, and currently resides in Chicago, IL. Her physical and digital collages often center on Black women and femmes because, in the words of Nina Simone, "we are the most beautiful creatures in the whole world...outside and inside." I want it to be known that I am a proud Bronxite and a proud New Yorker through and through, but when I asked this question of which city I have the closest connection to, I chose Chicago. I currently reside here, but on top of that, I have a spiritual connection to this city, an amazing community, and I have seen myself blossom and spread my wings here!
