Xiongyue Yu Journal Entry 5 - David Hammons, Black First American Second, 1970

 David Hammons, Black First American Second, 1970 

• The double self-portrait was incredibly powerful as it reveals what people felt during this time in history. 
• In the image, one version of his body holds tightly to the American flag, while another version of himself is painfully cleaved by its stripes.
• I believe the image illustrates the discrepancy between what the US Constitution promises about being a citizen and the reality of the disempowered black population.
• The artist uses his own body print in the work, making it even more powerful to convey its message.
• By using this creative expression, the artist describes how he felt socially, an inevitability of being discriminated against as a Black person before becoming equally American in public perception.


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