“I crafted this video to show the intent behind my drawing "A Great American Pastime." It serves as a reflection on my involvement in the Black Lives Matter marches, drawing heavily from photographs I captured during those protests.

Reflecting on the current state of America, it feels as though nearly everyone has a Black friend—a genuine, deeply cherished and deeply loved connection. I recall my childhood when busing began, integrating Black children into my elementary school. Witnessing the mistreatment they endured at the hands of some teachers was profoundly distressing. Many of them became my friends, and their abuse was unbearable to watch. As a child, I felt powerless, I was just little, unable to intervene. It filled me with a sense of anger towards those who perpetuated such cruelty, relegating me to the role of a helpless bystander. However, with age comes a newfound determination not to stand idly by.

Throughout the imagery, you'll notice baseball players interspersed among the protestors. This deliberate juxtaposition highlights the disparity between the privilege of leisurely pursuits of throwing a baseball and the urgent struggle for freedom when representation is lacking, and throwing rocks becomes the only recourse. Much like baseball, civil rights activism appears to have become ingrained as a quintessential Great American Pastime. Yet, despite this, the enduring truth remains elusive—that all individuals are created equal. I incorporated visuals from news coverage of events in Israel to underscore the global resonance of systemic racism, emphasizing how our nation exports its prejudices to other corners of the world.”