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Tired, the subject kneels down on the ground to catch her breath and shouts to her friends up ahead, “Hang on guys! I need a quick breather!” Through this narrative I intended to communicate a sense of urgency to catch one’s breath. If only Eric Garner, George Floyd, Javier Ambler, Manual Ellis, and Byron Williams could have caught their breath, their last words wouldn’t have been “I can’t breathe.” Black Americans are enervated. They are tired of police brutality, tired of structural and institutional racism, tired of micro-agressions, tired of systemic inequalities, and tired of repeatedly explaining racism to white people only to be met with blank faces and denial. This painting, “Hang on Guys, I Need a Quick Breather” is a reminder to all of us to educate ourselves about these issues, so that our black friends and family can save their breath.

Marisa Rheem

marisa.rheem@yahoo.com