When They See Us
'The Unbalanced Scale'
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam - The Exonerated 5 #BlackHistoryMonth. ‘When They See Us’ - Being Black & the Unbalanced Scale. This is an illustration I made in partnership with Netflix about this incredible 4 part series. I’m purposely having a late release with this illustration because I’ve always thought it’s important that we don’t let important conversations simmer down. Let’s not let our conversations around the complexities of the black experience and our fight for equality and this series simmer down. Especially in the criminal justice system in the US. The injustices Ava DuVernay shows us with regards to The Exonerated 5 are injustices still present today. In this illustration I address a global black and brown issue - an unbalanced scale where all that black and brown people are taught at home to be proud of and celebrate is still used against us, in some cases as evidence or motive. This series is a great depiction of this. I love how Ava sets out to restore dignity to The Exonerated 5 though and I’m honoured to have created an illustration to honour her work in that and continue to celebrate ALL things that encompass my very black identity.
