I started this project in my digital photography class where our assignment was to photograph a social issue that was important to us. After much deliberation, I finally decided to photograph minorities. Living in a time where racial discrimination is still prevalent, I wanted my work to show that it is still an issue. I go to a university where it prides itself on being a diverse school and sometimes it seems that way, but for the most part it doesn't. 76% of JMU student's are white, which is a lot. A lot of my friends who participated in this project described sitting in a classroom of 30-40 students and they are the only minority. They talked about the discrimination they have faced growing up. One person said they didn't make a JMU dance team because they were asian and not white. One girl had talked about a time where people would give her "compliments" such as, "You're pretty, for a black girl." Comments like these are racist. To not be allowed on a team because of your race, is discrimination. I chose the words I AM MORE because these people are more than just the color of the skin or the way that they look. They are artists, athletes, dancers, musicians, students, and so much more. Being a person of mixed race, I can understand how it feels to not be accepted because of how you look and it hurts. This project was super important to me and I would like to thank everyone who helped me bring it to life.
