Narrative Visual Perspective in English

The goal of this project was to create a research essay of 5-7 pages about some issue of your choosing. We practiced using multiple primary and secondary sources. Using help from the book “They Say I Say” we were to write in a formal language and format in MLA format.
For my topic, I chose slavery reparations, which was a topic far out of my knowledge, so I had to do a lot of research. There was also a lot of legal language which was hard for me to understand, so I ended up having to work really hard on this project. Overall, I’m pretty pleased with the outcome. I didn’t write the best and most convincing essay in the world, but for all the challenges I had to overcome and the hard work I had to put in I would say it turned out pretty well.

For the surreal composition, we had to use our photoshop skills we learned in Digital Media, to show a new way to convey our point. The result of which can be seen here.

This piece aims to explore the persistent legacy of African American oppression in California, spanning multiple generations. By digitally collaging African Americans dressed in styles from different decades, I sought to emphasize that the history of racial inequality is long-standing and continues to resonate today. The central focus of my work is to challenge the systems that have historically marginalized Black communities, specifically in California. To this end, I used an image of the California State Capitol as the backdrop, symbolizing how state policies have historically restrained the wealth and opportunities that rightfully belong to African Americans.

Creating this piece involved sourcing high-quality, copyright-free images, which proved to be a challenge. Because I utilized multiple photographs, I had to carefully organize and manage layers more efficiently than I had in previous works. The most difficult aspect was reconciling the disparate lighting and exposure levels of the images, as they were taken across various time periods and under different conditions. Achieving visual coherence required meticulous adjustments to both lighting and exposure, ensuring a unified aesthetic across the piece.

If I were to revisit this project, I would consider capturing my own photographs to incorporate into the collage. This approach would not only add a more personal touch, but it could also evoke deeper emotional resonance by introducing an element of unpredictability and spontaneity in the way the images are captured.

Through the surreal image, I learned how to tell stories in a new way. In this case, telling the story of African Americans living in California that were hurt by decades of racial prejudice. I liked including pictures from every decade for the past 70 years to show just how long these people have been affected and being able to edit them all into the same image so it looked cohesive.