For The Ringer’s feature “The Spirit of Rebellion Grows During America’s Summer of Protest,”
I created the lead illustration to visually capture the duality of the Black Lives Matter uprisings in Washington, D.C. rather than focusing solely on trauma. Reflecting the article’s theme of “Black jubilation” as a form of resistance, the artwork utilized my signature vibrant, collage-inspired style to depict the reclamation of public space through a lens of strength and cultural pride. By centering the beauty and resilience of the figures involved, the piece balanced the weight of the political moment with an energetic affirmation of life, serving as a visual anchor for the narrative of revolutionary joy intersecting with righteous rage.
The artwork visualizes the article's core thesis: that the protest was not just a reaction to death (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor), but an affirmation of life. It conveys a sense of "unrivaled bliss in the face of a nightmarish American system," balancing the heavy political context with an energetic, almost electric, visual language.
