As time goes on, we forget important historical figures, so I wanted to create a desmos design to commemorate Lincoln Alexander. Sir Alexander was one of the many influential Black-Canadians who greatly influenced and impacted the country with his involvement in politics. Toronto-born Lincoln Alexander came from a Carribean mother and a Vincentian father. Growing up, his ambitions shifted from law to politics since he saw the opportunity to stand against racism. In 1968, Alexander became the first Black-Canadian to sit in the House of Commons, and in 1979, he became the first Black-Canadian to serve in Cabinet. In later years, he impressed the country by moving up the ladder to become Canada's first Black lieutenant-governor in 1985. Lincoln Alexander was a strong man who fought for the human rights of the youth, elderly, and people of colour. The legacy he left behind will always be remembered through the changes he made that still affect the people today.
Mental Health is a serious issue that has impacted many people. With this being said, the rise of racism has affected those of colour, in terms of dealing with long term racism throughout their lifetime. The BIPOC community (specifically Black individuals) is the most discriminated against community; thereby having the highest rate of forming some sort of mental health issues - from anxiety to PTSD. My animation is inspired by one of the 28 Moments of Black History: Trauma and Resilience. This animation illustrates a split visual of two females (Black vs White) expressions and environment that shows how distinctive their mental healths are. The colours on the left side represents not only the “skin colour” but symbolizes the emotion of anger and sadness. On the contrary, red (right side) represents power, life and war. These colours emphasize the different experiences that the Black community endure compared to their White counterparts. The rainfall represents hardship and a dreary aura while the teardrop represents sadness. In correlation, the sea represents the sea of tears - showcases an effect of dealing with distress. On the left side, the sun and birds represent a typical, perfect life we imagine to have just like a beautiful spring day.
Social justice in itself is neither easy to define nor a difficult thing to implement or achieve. Over the years, many people who have been unfairly treated because of their origin, color, religion, gender, or sexual orientation have suffered hurt and fought for justice. Even though they may have to pay high prices for it, they continue to stand up and fight for a future where discrimination is free. My animation design presents how the difficulty of regaining justice has caused the girl to endure so much pain that tears filled her eyes. Those tears are also her efforts that can go two paths for two different results. It is reflected in real life that sometimes people's efforts do not work as expected. It can go as well as the flower, while it can also go up in smoke if it falls into the flames. At such times, people become hopeless and pessimistic about life and justice. Nonetheless, "April showers bring May flowers," when the storm is over, good things will come. Thus, be persistent and do it all at the very best.
My design showcases a woman with power, which is represented by the crown using a dashed line that can show something hidden. Women are seen as ordinary but they can also be as powerful and as bright as men. Women don’t deserve to be caged because they can help deliver success with their creative ideas. This is also represented by a dashed line showing many routes to escape. Some have a clear vision of gender inequalities and that they work hard to make a difference. It might be ambitious to say that women can unite two different worlds, but it’s worth giving it a chance.