The Original Pick Nig

24"x 30"x 1.5 Original oil on canvas

This painting was inspired by a conversation about the American "linguistic racism" that permeates nearly every aspect of American society. Many of us use these words without thinking of the real connotation. Some of these terms are directly rooted in the nation’s history with chattel slavery. This painting expresses one example as having a "Picnic". Think about other words such as Master bedrooms” in our homes, “Blacklists” and “whitelists”, Sold down the river, and “Black has connoted evil and disgrace, while white has connoted decency and purity.” The use of "Redskins" has been in controversy even today. Many Americans may unwittingly evoke racism when they use words and phrases like these and find it hard to change. Education is the key to all changes and must be taught, not ignored.