Joshua Valentine

“Tan” is a representation of what being biracial feels like for me on an everyday basis. This piece is the embodiment of the internal conflict that occurs in my head between my two races. The mixture of being black and white in America has been a complicated experience for me my whole life. As I have grown older and come to understand more of the country’s racial issues, it has become harder for me to accept both sides of who I am. Since leaving home 2 and a half years ago I have been on a journey to figure out where my place in this racially divided world is as a mixed person. It has caused me a lot of depression throughout my life and recently I have started talking about my experiences more and am starting to gain a little more clarity about my race. On the outside, you see my tan skin, but what you don’t on the inside is my two races struggling to find their place in the same body. This experience is something that all biracial or multiracial people have to deal with and work through in their own ways and often is a struggle that is never seen by others. It’s what makes us who we are; strong, beautiful, diverse, individuals. The aim of this piece is to start conversation about what it’s like to be multiracial and shed light on our reality for those who cannot personally relate.