Realizing our identity in a time of crisis is almost always the most important re-evaluation there is- when all is said and done, who do you stand with and support? After seeing men and women who don’t look like you being shot by the same people who share your skin color, which side of the gun do you think is the right one to stand on? 

After considering all these things, I think that very many white people who are my age agree that we must do everything we can to stop the raging inequality that looms between these two groups of people. “Who?” represents my aim to tell people that we are all questioning our identity and what it means to be the race we are, and that we are still together even when this barrier looms before all of us. Especially now, when tensions are rightfully high, white people must remember that it is not our voices that need to be heard, because even unintentionally, we are perpetrators. Even as people under 18, we can make a difference as a whole, as a group of people who has grown up all questioning and thinking the same thing. My piece of swag should be included because it makes viewers think deeply at first glance, addresses the question of “Who am I? Who are You? Who are We?”, and it represents how many people are feeling right now. I merely bring my opinion and feelings as a kid growing up benefiting from systematic racism, and how no one should ever be at a disadvantage because of who they are.

[Part of a series showcasing the work of VADA Sophomores in their English 10 Classes. More information can be found here.]