Nathan Owens

Nathan Owens Instagram – My agency @wilhelminamodels asked for my thoughts on the current state of affairs. I tried to capture as much as I could.
#repost “Since the birth of our nation racism has existed. Many in America have been afforded the luxury to hide behind the cover of plausible deniability for so long that they actually believed it to be somewhat of a distant farce. Perhaps, in denying it there was a sense of comfort or attempt at reconciliation with their own spirit and knowledge of slavery and Jim Crow. Or possibly the threat that the acknowledgment of privilege itself, due to racism, was somehow an indictment on them, their success, and their place in this world. At best, its was just plain old ignorance and naivety. None the less they thought that black bodies and minds didn’t deal with it on every level of our existence. That the actions in the video clips and news headlines were just one offs and somehow justified by the veil of the blue line. Meanwhile, in our society there has been a growing and festering wound that’s toxicity has infiltrated its way into our bloodstream, corroding our neighborhoods, institutions, establishments, cultures, mental health, economics, and everyday life. Many are just waking up to this reality for the first time. They’re educating themselves on the history and cycle of racism and it’s affect on black life up to today. I say to them and everyone else, there is no time for moral apathy. This is the time to heal those wounds. Rectify them with compassion, empathy, understanding, service, education, community, accountability, diligence, conversation, and most importantly, courage. But this can NOT be a trend. This isn’t something that can end next news cycle. We have to continue to be vigilant. We have to continue to stay diligent. We have to continue to strategize. We have to continue to be heard. We have to DEMAND to be a better nation as a whole. Now is the time for action! – @nathanowens_
Art direction: @calvingeorge
Photo: @josephmichaelphillips | Posted on 09/Jun/2020 02:52:12