Painting Worth A Thousand Words

So I was browsing through some African American art and I found this painting by Chelle Brantley titled Destruction of a Man. It really spoke volumes to me. It shows some of the things that have plagued and continue to plague young black men. The center of the picture drew me in. In the center, sits a slave with blood gushing down his back from a recent beating with a whip. This figure reminds me of a famous picture of a slave sitting with his back towards the camera. His bare back reveals scars from being beaten repeatedly. Above this severely beaten slave, is another slave with shackles and chains around his wrists and neck. To the right of him there are two young men that have been lynched. These four figures represent shear hatred that we African Americans have overcome as a whole. This blind hatred cost many dear souls their lives, but more particularly young black men. The other elements of the painting are more modern: the waiter, the cop car, the gun, the gang member, and the young man wasting away in a prison cell. All these images confront an ugly truth about some young men in the African American community. With so many opportunities and so many avenues to venture down, why do some choose the path of chaos and destruction. This painting shows how others once created the young black men's hell and tormented their rich vibrant souls until there nothing left. It also shows how young black men have created their own hell and how they tormenting their loved ones, their community, and most importantly themselves. Can these strong, smart, and handsome men awake from this self induced coma before they succumb to their environment? That is the question that this painting is posing. This painting may shed light on the negativity, but it also shows that there may be light at the end of the tunnel. This piece of art makes its audience look within to confront their flaws and weaknesses and turn it into something positive. And maybe one day Chelle may paint another painting about young black men uplifting themselves, no longer looking back at the past.