This project contrasted the overlapping visual narratives of my hometown and a hate crime that my family experienced. The featured photographs present an intimate and familiar perspective of life at home. The second and overlying narrative is the text—some that I wrote and other from newspaper clippings—which documents the hate crime. I sought to examine the contrast between my fond memories of my “wholesome,” Midwestern town, to the existing underlying racism that my multiracial family experienced. The color scheme was intentionally stark in order to emphasize the message of the piece. Although narrative in its intent and structure, the site was designed as an exploration of an event rather than a chronological documentation.

Please note: Since this project was created in 2003, Flash is required. Click here to watch the video (created as an undergraduate student at Northwestern University).