Artists’ talk given in Washington, DC, illuminates the inspiration of Black history in artwork recently featured in Youth for Human Rights Art Contest.

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, February 23, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a tribute to Black History, the Youth for Human Rights International’s Washington, DC, chapter showcased art from its human rights art contest featuring elements of Black history including themes from slavery to paintings with actual bullets from Civil War battlefields imbedded in them to depictions of Civil Rights icons.

The contest’s second-place winner, Mr. William (Bill) Jones of Maryland, spoke about his artwork, “Diaspora,” depicting a confederate flag and images of discrimination painted on the back of an African American man. The inspiration for this piece was the Charlestown, South Carolina, church shooting on June 17, 2015, when nine African Americans were killed during Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church, raising the question of whether the Civil War is truly over for all.

Mr. Jones described his inspiration for the artwork, “As a Black man in America, we have developed the backbone of America and we have been disrespected as a people. I tried to show the stages of disrespect to being able to get our human rights. To be able to stand proud of who we are.”

Mr. Azhar Haq, President of the DC Chapter of Youth for Human Rights International, spoke about the importance of human rights. Mr. Haq said, “Human rights are the basic rights that everyone is entitled to just because they are human. Human rights are not just an abstract concept but a reality that affects the lives of millions of people around the world every day…The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 is a cornerstone of the global human rights framework and it serves as a common standard of humanity to which all people are entitled… It is our duty as global citizens to advocate for human rights and to hold governments accountable for upholding them.”

Ms. Carolyn Goodridge, Director of Art Impact International, one of the judges of the contest and curator of the online art show said, “We had 91 works of art, we put it in a 3D virtual gallery and we had artists from 14 different countries.” She also urged the audience to create their own art. “You are never too old to create, to learn, to be free, to express yourself.”

“Art has been used throughout the years to express and communicate global, political, and human rights issues in a peaceful way. It has the ability to impact its viewers in a way that words cannot,” explained Beth Akiyama, Executive Director of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, which hosted the event.

She cited the words of humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard: “The artist has an enormous role in the enhancement of today’s and the creation of tomorrow’s reality. … The elevation of a culture can be measured directly by the numbers of its people working in the field of aesthetics. Because the artist deals in future realities, he always seeks improvements or changes in the existing reality. This makes the artist, inevitably and invariably, a rebel against the status quo. The artist, day by day, by postulating the new realities of the future, accomplishes peaceful revolution.”

February was chosen as Black History Month as it is the birth month of both President Abraham Lincoln and former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Recognizing the achievements and struggles of African Americans during Black History Month has continued to gain momentum in its nearly fifty years of celebration.

The DC Chapter of Youth for Human Rights International sponsored the art contest to bring aesthetics to help communicate important rights under the UDHR. The International Peace Day Art Contest was created to promote visual art that forwards human rights messages. You can view the artworks from the contest in the virtual gallery as well as order a book with all the artwork displayed.

The purpose of the Human Rights Art Contest is to raise awareness of the United Nations founding document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as the human rights standard to aspire to around the world. This year’s theme was: “War or Peace?” The winning art pieces addressed issues from nuclear war to the effects of discrimination to scenes of peace.

About Youth for Human Rights:

Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to inspire them to become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace. YHRI advocates for human rights both in the classroom and in nontraditional educational settings such as through art series, concerts and other interactive community events, including regional and international human rights summits which bring youth together from across whole sectors of the world. Their most recent campaigns have included #KnowYour30 with the deliberate purpose of increasing awareness of the 30 human rights every person has - and how they are a part of everyday life.

Press Office
Youth for Human Rights International - National Office
+1 202-667-6404
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.