A Message to Small Children with Brown Skin

A Message to Small Children with Brown Skin

A Message to Small Children With Brown Skin is a short poem which attempts to subvert the constant narrative of negativity that is often given/forced upon children from Black and Brown communities. The poem is inspired by my own experience growing up with these narratives and the confusion/internalized effects it has caused. The work is performed on the screen by a variety of friends, family and strangers from Portland, Oregon. This piece is one of care, hopes to give some amount of pride, assurance, community, warmth, and security to any children and/or adults who identify with the work as well as allow for reflection on viewers relationships to the narratives the poem attempts to confront. I hope audience members that identify with the language of the piece feel a small sense of community and connection to those who were reciting the work in the video, perhaps seeing themselves in there somewhere while white viewers reflect on how their own lives relate to the themes discussed here.

Christian Orellana Bauer

Video, poetry

video

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