Black Lives Matter Hand-Painted Jacket

A friend of Brea’s who owns a business called Paint it Back (@paint.it.back) made this hand-painted jacket. Brea purposefully bought this jacket to show her support for the Black Lives Matter movement and because the jacket has a unique, hand-made design. Another motivation to purchase the jacket was because forty percent of the proceeds were donated to Social Works, a charity in Chicago supporting Black youth. “History is re-branding itself because it’s the Civil Rights Movement Part II, but the Civil Rights Movement never ended.” -Brea

Embellished Grey Coat

Truth created this garment to express and celebrate the beauty of Black women’s hair.

All of the Black women represented in the exhibition discussed the importance of their hair. Historically and today Black women have experienced discrimination related to their hair where their hair is often described as not appropriate, unprofessional, or “bad.” Often times Black hair is targeted in school and workplace dress codes, sometimes then resulting in ongoing legal debates surrounding civil rights.