National emotion has been very high following the recent slayings of black men by police. And debate has raged on whether sharing the video and images of these murdered women and men is necessary or just traumatizing. After Emmett Till’s lynching in 1955 his mother insisted on an open casket so that his broken body could be a visual symbol of American racism. And Ida B. Wells’ meticulous documented of lynchings raised the public profile of the anti-lynching movement. But more recently the family of slain Michael Brown asked that images of his lifeless body not be shared on social media.
But what about art inspired by the recent shootings? Some have gone so far as to stylize black death.
As we grapple with the seeming constancy of black death in America, some wonder what the benefit of sharing images of slain black bodies are within the black community. Is it a necessary catalyst for change?;
What is the use of Black death by Black media? Why must we show our own wounds to inspire action among our people? Is Black death the only motivation for defending Black life? How peculiar a burden?
What is the use of Black death by Black media? Why must we show our own wounds to inspire action among our people? Is Black death the only motivation for defending Black life? How peculiar a burden?
Writer Shelby Mooring advocates for a more cautious approach when sharing violent images as a means of activism:
“There may be people on your social media who believe that sharing graphic images will awaken the humanity in people chanting “All Lives Matter.” However, there are certainly many Black people who experience second-hand, maybe even first-hand, trauma from viewing this triggering content. Fighting for justice was never meant to be sugar-coated, but it doesn’t hurt to be mindful of other people’s mental health in the process.”
Raced-based trauma is definitely a thing. And we should be mindful of it in these times.
But as we continue the push for activism, is stylizing black death the best way?
Ladies, what are your thoughts?