Description
The artwork depicts iconic Washington, D.C. landmarks—including the U.S. Capitol and the White House—overlaid with postcard-style lettering that spells out “Washington D.C.” Within the letters, illustrated figures from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington appear engaged in conversation about the events unfolding around them: the presence of the National Guard, the erasure of Black Lives Matter Plaza, and the demolition of the White House’s East Wing. Beneath the main title, the phrase “white-washed city” appears in altered typography—its stenciled, ransom-note-like letters evoking disruption and dissent. This phrase pointedly critiques the current “whitewashing” of American history and politics, calling attention to the ways the contributions of Black Americans and other marginalized communities are minimized or erased within the nation’s centers of power. Part documentation and part protest, the work invites viewers to reflect on how the seat of government is currently seeking to turn-back the progress of civil rights and the understanding of the role of race in the development of our country.
