Rai Everett

Through this mixed-media animation, I wanted to portray my exploration of my culture. As an African American, my culture outside of the diaspora is fairly new and misconstrued in comparison to others, leaving me to feel left out of cultural events growing up much like many other African Americans. However, through my research, I gained a deeper understanding and connection with the culture and I chose to portray that through a cultural staple–food! The main color palette of my video consists of the colors of the African American flag (red, green, yellow, and black); The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a song that was a staple of the Civil Rights movement–the time when the term soul food was coined; okra, yams (sweet potatoes), greens, and black-eyed peas are all my favorite dishes from soul food and are the most common in traditional dishes. I establish a deep connection between myself and my culture through “bodily modifications” as the food appears within/on me, and I aim to mimic my personality with “cartoonlike” aspects throughout, therefore making this animation the most ideal medium. Moreover, my piece was made with Posca pens and digital Photoshop work.