America, Amerika...The Beau...

It is a perspective of how people think of America as whole. When it comes to the patriotic song "America The Beautiful," the Deaf Community have been signing it the way we were taught and believe that this is our home, a land of the free. But in "BlackDeaf" Community, we questioned it and sign "America" as it it was a land of the slavery. Two images, side by side, are people who has been divided (racial, status, cultural). Privileged one vs. The Oppressed One (the color of the thick curved stripes represent our flag in literal and political ways) . The Beau in the dictionary means Masculine or a female. In that sense, we could not completely say that it is Beautiful...even though it is.

Fred Michael Beam

America, Amerika...The Beau...

2020

Acrylic Painting

Two women side by side have their hands in front of them. They are racially, culturally, and ethnically different. The fair skinned female, smiling on left signs "America" with close to red flag stripes weaving around them. The dark skinned female, with mouth shut on the right signs "Slave" with black flag stripes weaving around them.