Category: Microagressions

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Blackity Black Blanket Ladders

Interpretations 2025 

Dates: October 17, 2025 -January 10, 2026

Location:  Visions Museum of Textile Art; 2825 Dewey Rd #100, San Diego, CA 

Blackity Black Blanket, ladders and emotional baggage cart installation Blackity Black Blanket Library Drape 10 ‘x 5’ Recycled commercial fishing net and black 4″ zip tie blanket on antique library ladders. 96 x 24 x 16 in 2023

Blackity Black Blanket, Ladders is part of a larger installation composed of handwoven blankets made from over 500,000 zip ties. These sculptural blankets envelop every piece of furniture in a studio apartment—transforming a chaise lounge, dining table, and four chairs into tactile monuments of resilience, resistance, and protection. In this piece, ladders wrapped in dense layers of zip ties become symbols of aspiration burdened by the weight of bias and systemic friction.

This work explores implicit bias and the complexities of unproductive dialogues around sensitive “isms.” Implicit bias is a universal human experience—not a moral failure, but an invitation to self-awareness. Recognizing bias doesn’t make someone bad; the key lies in what we choose to do with that awareness. This body of work viscerally portrays the relentless impact of microaggressions. The ladders—tools meant for climbing—are draped in heavy, fur-like armor that both conceals and reveals the tension of attempting to rise while being held down by invisible assumptions.

The blankets themselves are not vessels of rest or softness; they are armor. A second skin. Bristling with a fur-like texture, they warn as much as they protect. Constructed from a material commonly associated with containment and restraint, the zip ties are reclaimed and reworked into something that defends, disrupts, and demands to be seen.

The installation reimagines what it’s like to live with microaggressions—so persistent that their sting becomes disturbingly familiar. In this space, even pain is woven into the fabric of daily life. The irony is that the discomfort, the tension, begins to feel like home. This work doesn’t offer easy comfort; instead, it challenges viewers to sit with that discomfort, to confront their own biases, and to join in the collective work of empathy, equity, and healing.

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Identifying Our Biases

Identifying microaggressions and implicit biases can be challenging but asking oneself reflective questions can help uncover them.

Here are five questions people can ask themselves:

  1. What assumptions do I make about people based on their appearance (e.g., race, gender, clothing)?
  2. How do I react when I encounter someone who is different from me in terms of culture, language, or lifestyle?
  3. Are there certain groups of people I tend to avoid or feel uncomfortable around? Why might that be?
  4. How do I respond to media portrayals of different social, ethnic, and cultural groups? Do I notice patterns in these responses?
  5. When I make decisions about hiring, mentoring, or collaborating, am I consistently favoring certain groups over others? What reasons do I give for these preferences?

Reflecting on these questions can help individuals become more aware of their implicit biases and take steps toward addressing them.

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You Talk So Proper…

I know I’m not alone in experiencing this seemingly harmless comment that’s anything but. It’s a phrase that, at first glance, might appear as a compliment, but it carries a hidden weight that many of us have had to unpack.

Growing up, I was always taught to express myself clearly and eloquently. I took pride in my ability to communicate effectively, and that’s something I’ve carried with me into my professional life. However, the seemingly innocent comment, “You talk so proper,” has followed me like a shadow.

At first, I brushed it off, thinking people were just acknowledging my communication skills. But over time, I began to realize that this comment often comes with an undertone of surprise – as if the expectation was different based on preconceived notions about my background or identity.

Let’s be real; language is a powerful tool. It’s a reflection of our unique experiences, cultures, and upbringings. So, when someone tells me I “talk so proper,” it implies that there’s a predetermined standard of speech that I’m either conforming to or deviating from.

The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to communication. We all have our individual styles, and none is inherently superior or inferior. Embracing linguistic diversity is not just about accepting different accents or dialects; it’s about acknowledging that there’s beauty in the richness of how we express ourselves.

So, to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of the “You talk so proper” microaggression, know that your voice is valid, no matter how it’s perceived. Embrace your unique way of expressing thoughts, ideas, and emotions. After all, it’s our diverse voices that make the conversation so interesting and meaningful.

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Microaggressions Sound Like

Let me know what you think of this audio that will accompany future installation of Free Your Mind?

Microaggressions are defined as subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — everyday interactions or behaviors that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative racial messages or assumptions toward historically marginalized groups.
 
The difference between microaggressions and overt discrimination, is that people who commit microaggressions are often unaware they are doing these things – and if you point it out to them, they say, “That wasn’t my intention, you are being too sensitive.” Which is yet another microaggression.
 
I often have the experience of people touching my hair without asking first, which makes me feel like a merchandise on display and I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve been complimented for being “articulate.” Which presumes that black people are not usually capable of competent intellectual conversation.
 
The weight of these daily interactions underpins very real consequences… stress, anger, frustration, self-doubt and ultimately feelings of powerlessness and invisibility. 
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You Are So Articulate

This Summer, my weaving, You Are So Articulate, will be at the 2021 New Jersey Arts Annual: ReVision and Respond hosted on site and virtually at The Newark Museum of Art from June 15th until August 22, 2021. 

In this weaving, each piece of yarn is representative of a conversation in 2020 where I was acknowledged for being able to express my thoughts and ideas. Being told I’m well-spoken is a back handed compliment and carries the connotation that, it is unusual for someone of my race to be intelligent or eloquent. 

The completed weaving is displayed on a DYI loom, as if, it is still a work in progress because some version of this conversation, continues still, till this very day.