Celebrating Black Culture Through Street Art

Street art is an unmistakably powerful force to be reckoned with, regardless of wherever you find it. This popular type of art comes from the heart of a creator, and It is usually connected to deep roots that come from the artist’s culture. In the Black community, people use art as an expressive gateway to showcase their emotions and our talent at the same time. Not only are these works of art a beautiful, emotional piece, but they also give a little sliver of hope to those of us who run out of it after listening to the news or witnessing something terrifying. And, they prove that we are literally and figuratively “all in this together”.

You might be asking, how does this connect to Black street art, though? Well, it is actually pretty simple. Suppose you’re walking around your neighborhood corner store and you notice a piece of art that reflects the Black community. You can usually recognize them by finding the closed fists held up, the images of George Floyd and other Black individuals who have been lost to cruelty and violence, the protest signs, unity in diversity, and basic Black Lives Matter.

These topics and items directly represent the hardships and struggles that the Black community has experienced as a whole, so one would usually think that seeing these artistic pieces would make someone sad. Except the situation is the exact opposite. Talking about these specific incidents makes people feel like they are not alone. It is emotional, yes. The families who lost someone may not want to be reminded of what happened, but at the same time, they may feel just a little happy to know that their community and the people in their culture really care. By turning a blank wall into a canvas and expressing their emotions and political beliefs, the Black community stands together as one, and that makes them more powerful than ever.

The art that specific Black individuals create has such a gigantic impact on the world, and as a whole, we should all appreciate the sense of community that comes from public Black art a little more.