EXHIBIT: TIRED OF BEING TIRED

In museums and art galleries there are multiple paintings, artifacts, clothing, instruments, etc. that show the struggle and suffering of African Americans.

However, there are few exhibits that express the feelings of each individual who has suffered from being oppressed.

For years, Black people have faced a system of oppression and discrimination. And WE are tired.

Our community sat and watched another BLACK man yell out “I CAN’T BREATHE,” and watching this video made us feel like we are suffocating with this repeated cycle of racism.

We all know this is not the first time our community has been attacked. They attack our Black men, our Black women, our Black LGBTQ community, our Black people who are disabled, and our Black children. 

As I am trying to become an upcoming Black journalist, it is hard to watch the media. I see headlines that say “Anger across America.”

Yes, we are angry, we are fed up, we are TIRED. 

Welcome to the exhibit I have created to give the voice to our Black community.

Here are a few voices that had something to say and their responses to trauma. Remember everyone responds to traumatic events differently, I appreciate every voice that decided to share their feelings with me and I hope everyone takes the time to unplug from the media but also stay aware. 

David Sanders,

"What does it mean to be African American in today's society? It means every obstacle throughout your life will be difficult because of the color of your skin. It means you have to deal with being racially profiled by the people who are supposed to protect and service you. It means you have to notice the inequalities within the misrepresentations of equality throughout the world. However, the most important thing is being able to survive in a system where we are projected and desired to fail. 

There are so many words I want to say because George Floyd is among hundreds of other black men who have been killed by this same system. My black brothers and sisters are in pain and scared of what the future may hold because of the repeating cycle of a white cop killing a black man. As a young black male and being an active leader in my community, I feel the aching and suffering firsthand everyday I step foot outside. Being worried about police pulling us over and having the mindset that my skin color is a threat automatically. Being worried about being an example of a prominent black man because the system can take everything away from you when they feel you are creating change. Being worried about the color of my skin forcing me to be discriminated against at this job interview. There are so many more worries that us black people have to handle on a daily basis which fuels the rioting and protesting for our voices to be heard.  

The rioting is a reflection of the rage and injustice within the black communities in a world that seems to have a misrepresentation of equality. For everyone reading, ask yourself the injustice and oppression done to blacks in history and today’s society. How many more black men have to die for us to get change? How many more black families have to lose another member because of the color of their skin?"

Charee Tousant,

"When I see the mistreatment of our people (in the media and irl) my soul gets depressed. And I mean severely depressed. Like the feeling you get when you know you have to cry but just can't do it yet, and the fact that you can't cry makes you angry. But since I don't have full control of my anger yet, I try to separate myself so that nobody else has to encounter it, which results in me feeling it all. Yeah, I walk around feeling like that for weeks or months at a time after a great tragedy in our community. I can't take the fact that we get done the filthiest for something we have no control over. We get fed bread crumbs, and then make greatness out of the bread crumbs, and when they see the greatness it is snatched away. And then get penalized for being hungry! We are not perfect, but nobody is. And I feel like we're the only people who get chastised and terrorized for being imperfect in and imperfect world. So much for when in Rome do what the Romans do! I don't hate being black. Being black to me is one of my greatest assets. Its apart of me, so when I see my people hurting the way they hurt, girl my body hurts, my spirit cries, and my emotions run completely over. This is my motivation to do for our community. This is why I want/need to advocate for black, and ONLY black, mental health and stability."

Amari Knox,

"My trauma is your trauma and your trauma is my trauma. Behind closed doors we all fighting demons , some bigger than others, some more complex than others and some easier to maintain, but regardless of what type of demons you fight we all fight them. Why can’t we all just to fight together? My personal trauma is a reflection of the traumas surrounding me. The damages from a damaged community, the misconception of roles played by woman or man, short or tall, black or brown black or white, old and young, everything has a discrimination. Seeing the trauma of my people gives me more trauma  and when I say MY people I don’t just  mean black people, I mean all people. pro black to the core , but love has no limit. love conquers all so why not just unify and heal one another with love?  From race wars to police brutality, equal rights, rioting, kidnapping, chaos, and political reconstruction there are many battles to fight , but there has to be a team to bring it altogether. If there was an explanation to the depths of my own pain i would speak volumes, but I'm here to say that hurt people hurt people, so that means that a broken community breaks the people in it. So in order to stop the madness surrounding us we have to cure the madness with love."

Kayla White,

“I’m honestly at a loss when it comes to finding words to describe how I feel about the current times. I’ve spent all day trying to figure it out and there’s nothing. I think I’m just tired, my brain hurts from thinking so much and my heart hurts from the pain. I do know that I’m happy about what’s going on, I love a good revolution and this is the beginning of something beautiful hopefully. The time is now for the end to these injustices and I’m so grateful/proud of the people who are going out to showcase their anger with the world.”

Liani Jones,

"Being black in America is watching how everyone wants to be black but doesn’t want to go through the struggles a black person endures every day of their life. Being black in America is taking precaution towards the police only to end up killed because they’re scared for their lives when we’re the ones that are scared, terrified even. Being black in America is speaking out against injustices only to end up harmed or dead to silence us. Being black in America is constantly mourning the deaths of our brothers and sisters to the police and the system. Being black in America is constantly hearing that everyone is equal, but truly knowing that we’re not equal. Being black in America is constantly defending yourself against racists and deemed the one that’s wrong. Being black in America is praying before you leave the house and praying when you get back in the house because you never know if you’ll live to see another day. Being black in America is realizing that we’re hated for the melanin in our skin."

Victoria Frazier,

" As I walked the streets of downtown Chicago, I saw a city that was hurt, tired, and fed up with losing innocent black lives at the hands of those whose duty is to serve and protect. I saw lots of faces of different races down there for one common goal: a change in the system, a change in the way blacks are treated by “the boys in blue." As I walked I saw graffiti on almost every building, looters running out of stores, and cars set on fire. What I saw first hand was people tired of being tired, tired of trying to play by the rules. Nobody heard us when we protested peacefully. Although, I am happy of the circumstances, I look on my social media and see people my age being snatched out of the cars by police, tased and having their tires slashed simply because of them using their right of freedom of speech. I see black men and women still being mishandled by officers and it just reminds me were running a race where as soon as it looks like we have reached the finish line and the line moves up further and further. We are moving one step forward but going three steps back. I see America showing us what we knew all along, we are visitors in a country we founded, and a country we never asked to be shipped to in chains on boats for long travels. We are the most imitated yet very much so hated. It was like a blindfold was ripped off our eyes, makeup being removed and truly seeing the ugly and hateful world we live."

Danaya Doughty,

" I totally agree with the riots and protesting happening today because it’s needed! When we were peaceful, they didn’t listen so now we have to use another strategy and this is it. I understand how people feel about destroying our own neighborhoods but are they really ours? I don’t know not one community with all black owned stored and businesses, so therefore it’s not ours! This riot gives us chance to create those communities and have a fighting chance against other races. And the same people screaming don’t destroy black businesses don’t even support them! So let the rioting continue until they stop killing us!"

Ishmael Rashaun

"Being black In America is not a trend, this is something that is felt from the day that you are born. Until the day that you die. It’s a pain of 400+ years of a racially systemic society that has profited off my skin for Milenial. 

I feel sorrow I feel pain, I feel a cloud of animosity and hatred every where that I go. No matter the time and place I am still a black man. I am broken-hearted by the death of of George Floyd, but his unfortunate and cruel death was just the tip of the iceberg. We as African Americans face problems daily, many that I see from the police department and many racist individuals in the world. 

I just feel as though, that we all need to band together as a race. We need to use this time, this leverage that we have right now, to formulate a plan and make action from it. The change has to come from ourselves, and our communities."

Kayden Byard,

"It’s exhausting being black. 

It’s exhausting needing to continuously explain why these protests are what need(ed) to happen. It’s exhausting having to explain why I will say F*** 12 and mean it. It’s exhausting having to spend majority of my life making sure what I’m wearing won’t draw any negative attention to me while walking into stores and down the street. It’s exhausting fitting the stereotype of “a black man with dreads” when that shouldn’t define who I am but it has damn sure defined and shaped the way I have to exist and live in this f***** up country. It’s exhausting and extremely saddening seeing posts about my brothers (and sisters) being killed, harassed, brutalized, disciminated against, racially profiled, and all of these things on a DAILY basis. When will it end? When will my brothers and sisters and non-binary siblings of color be seen as equals? Or are we brought onto this Earth, to spend our entire lives fighting for what is right and spending and ultimately wasting all of our energy fighting (verbally and physically), educating, informing, and explaining our selves to others...only to get absolutely no where."

“If they will not let us be heard without stereotyping us, then I’ll give our community a platform to be heard” -Kianna Goss 

-I do not own the rights to any of the photos, all photos were sent by each individual, thank you all for letting me use your voices to be heard!