The Artist Statement

Transforming the System

As we stand on the crest of history, we look back to see that this wave of oppression has long been rising with the tumultuous spirit of those who drowned in the Atlantic,

Those who were lynched in the South and in the North, those who were whipped for running, for reading, for dancing, and for speaking;

So that the bedrock of an empire could be born debt-free.

As the criminalization of black and brown communities pushes this legacy of inequality forward, our collective cage multiplies.

From this incredible vantage point, we are afforded sight.

We can see further than we have ever been able to see before.

From this place, more and more people are committing themselves to transforming a system that no longer serves anyone under its rule, even the elite,

For a cage is a cage, no matter if made of iron or gold.

-Alixa Garcia