Black lives matter is a movement that reaches across the entire nation and aims to draw attention to social injustice within the American judicial system. Organizers within the movement plan protests around the country in an effort to enact change and force the policemen to take responsibility for their actions. Police have killed innocent people and altered the lives of thousands with little to no punishment for their actions. The painting “A Tale of two hoodies” by Micheal D’Antuno exhibits the injustice and racial suppression millions face each day. The use of Color, organization, unity and realism within the painting help to portray the message of social unrest and injustice in the United States police system. 

White is a color used to symbolize innocence and surrender. The boy in the photo is wearing an all-white hoodie. This allows the artist to emphasize the fact that the black child is innocent. There is also a clear danger that the innocent boy is facing represented by the gun in the policeman’s hand contrasting the bag of sweeties in the boy’s hand. The sweeties, a parody of skittles, the boy is holding relate this image to the real case of Trayvon Martin. He was a 17 year-old black boy who was shot and killed by a night watchman who mistook the bag of skittles he was holding for a weapon. Despite his innocence, the watchmen’s perception of danger resulted in Trayvon Martin’s life ending at a very young age. In this painting, the policeman is facing no danger but he aims his gun at the boy regardless. The use of color and childish sweets to symbolize innocence in this painting convey the fact that anybody, well anybody that is black, is in danger of encountering a similar situation. This raises awareness and intends to educate the viewer on what is really going on. Specifically, this painting draws attention to the fact that in the year 2016 there is still racism and racial suppression against black people present in our society. Black people in America are treated differently no matter how you spin it. For hundreds of years they were segregated, degraded and treated as a lower class of citizen at best. Critics of the Black Lives Matter movement seem to forget this when they say that black people are overreacting or that this situation is not about race. This argument marginalizes and works to lessen the stance of an entire population. They fear for their lives as they walk home at night but rather than fearing robbers and murderers that could be hiding in the shadows, they fear the people who are supposed to be protect them. Beyond its depiction as a symbol of innocence, color white is a representation of surrender in this painting. The boy in white is surrendering himself, waving a metaphorical ‘white flag’ with his bag of sweeties, while the police officer continues to point his gun at him. It is clear the boy is non-threatening and decidedly not dangerous to the police officer as he is pointing a bag of candy at the police officer, not a weapon. 

Organization is also a key element of this painting. At first glance, the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the confederate flag placed in the middle. This flag is a sign of rebellion, unrest and racism that has persevered for over a century. This flag was flown by the member of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War who wanted to keep slavery and were willing separate from the rest of the country to do so. By having this at the center it immediately incites the idea of not only racism but also of rebellion. The confederate flag, in and of itself, is a sign of rebellion and deviation from current societal norms. In this respect, the flag has a similar meaning to that of the Black Lives Matter movement despite clear differences in fundamental views. During the Civil War, the Confederate or Rebel flag was flown to represent the desire for continued slavery and separation of the southern states from the country as a whole. Due to this, rebellion is cast in a bad light. In contrast to the negative view of rebellion during the Civil War, uprisings throughout history have been way to enact positive change and exhibit how dire the current situation to those who can impact policy. It could be argued that in this painting the presence of the Confederate flag is used to represent the desire for change. The Black Lives Matter movement represents the need for change not only within police forces and the judicial system as a whole but throughout the entire country. There are too many people who blindly stereotype and make assumptions that, sadly, can result in the loss of innocent lives. In addition to drawing attention to the flag at the center of the painting, organization is used to place the police officer above the black child. This implies that the officer has the power over the child. The police officer, depicted with a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hood covering his face, is elevated above the child physically within the painting and within the justice system as well. The KKK is an organization that discriminates and degrades the black population with the sole purpose of ensuring black people are reminded of their inferiority to white people. This organization believes they are above the law with respect to their discriminatory behavior because, to them, they are doing what is best for everyone. Through dressing the police officer in a KKK hood and covering his face, there is an extremely clear indication of racism within the painting. Furthermore, police officers are perceived to be above the law due to their position. By placing the officer closer so the top of the painting, the artist is further emphasizing the fact that he is superior to this child. The depicted superiority in the painting is also important when thinking about the judicial system. In the court of law, it is difficult to convict a guilty police officer as they have a perceived innocence due to their profession. This can mean that, despite evidence suggesting their guilt, if they say they are innocent a judge and jury will be more inclined to believe them. In many cases, it would be the police officer's word against a black kid's word. This is important because there is a slim chance that anybody would believe the kid associated with negative stereotypes over the police officer's. The police officer is perceived as above everything, including the law. 

Another element that is deployed throughout the painting is unity. The only colors in the painting are red, white, blue, and black. By having such a limited color scheme, the picture comes together as a unifed whole. It may have multiple things going on within the frame but the colors tie it all together. The colors red, white, and blue when seen together are used to represent patriotism and inspire pride in one’s nation. Patriotism in itself implies a unified people that can rally around a common interest, namely their country. It’s one of the strongest bonds between a diverse people and can unite an entire nation during the darkest of times. By having this color scheme throughout the entire painting it serves as a reminder that we are all living in the same country and are all equal under the law. We are all the same, we all have the same rights and should have the same privileges. Unity is key to keeping a country running smoothly. If the groups of people start to separate and lose trust in the judicial system, it can be almost impossible to get them back and remind them that the system is here to help you, not hurt you. By unifying the picture with theses colors the artist brings the separate lives of the people in the photo together. Their minds may exist in separate worlds with contrasting views of the country and everyone in it, but the officer and child physically live in the same country at the same time. This image could be used as a way to represent how members of the Black Lives Matter movement feel the police are acting. The police are being perceived as supremacists towards black people, which is driving people to feel a need to rebel and protest. People want police to take responsibility for the lives they are ruining and the families they are tearing apart by thoughtlessly ending innocent lives. The policemen say that they are in danger but the Black Lives Matter movement argues that if it were a white person in the same situation, the first thought wouldn't be to shoot, it would be to deescalate and detain. Unifying people in this country is difficult, we all have different views and see the things that happen in a different light based off not only our skin color but also how and where we were raised. We all live in the same county and abide by the same rules but we are not all the same. Though we are not the same, the belief that one life is worth less than another is dangerous to the functioning of our society.

The fourth element used in this painting is realism. The use of realistic elements creates a more personal connection to the painting and the issues that it is addressing. The painting was completed using oil paints in such a way that allows the image to feel real. This painting looks like a real life image and therefore makes it easy to relate current events and issues to it. If this painting was painted in a more abstract manner it would be harder to form personal connections to the art and would be less effective in communicating the paintings purpose. This painting is representative of how millions of American citizens feel towards police. They fear for their lives and not because there are murderers and robbers running amuck but because they fear that when they get pulled over for speeding they might be shot and killed by the police officer who pulled them over. For them this a legitimate reality. As a white female this is something I had never considered. When I see a police officer I don't feel afraid or threatened I feel the complete opposite. For me they are a sign of safety. For many innocent black lives the sight of a police officer is threatening. They don't want to be the next news headline but they know it's possible. "Will I be next?" This is a common phrase used by black lives matter protesters. They are emphasizing the fact that it could be any of them lying dead in the streets due to a policemen firing his weapon maybe a moment too early. Another realistic element in the painting is the KKK hood that the policeman is wearing. By having him wear this hood it immediately creates a feeling of racism. This is because the KKK is a real organization that’s sole purpose is to discriminate against people of color. 

For many black American citizens, the fear of being killed by a police officer is prominent. This image portrays the feeling of fear and injustice that is happening around our country. The artist uses color, organization, unity and realism to exhibit the fear millions are feeling. The strong image of a police officer wearing KKK hood stands out and shows just how bad the situation between the blacks and the police is. People are scared for their lives, but others still fail to see this is an issue. 
