Final Unsung Hero Portrait

L Alex Wilson

L Alex Wilson was a black journalist during the time of the civil rights movement. He wrote about the violence and discrimination toward black people. The part of his story that inspired me was him and how he connects with the little rock nine. The little rock nine were nine black students who were allowed to enter an all-white school in 1957. During their walk into the school, L Alex Wilson accompanied them. As they walked toward the school a mob would try and attack the kids trying to walk into the school. L Alex Wilson stepped in and covered the children and allowed them to walk safely as he was beaten. As he was beaten a man jumped on his back and his hat came flying off. As others help Alex get the man off him he calmly picked his hat up and kept walking. He didn't run and he showed no fear. 

There were two ways I choose to represent Alex in my work. I choose to show him with his arms out and facing away from the viewer. I chose to do this to show how he shielded the little rock nine kids from the mob. I also chose to have his hat on the ground. I feel like the hat is the most important and interesting part of his story. I used it to represent both how he was beaten by the mob knocking his hat off and to show how fearless he was in that situation even when the mob was beating him for no reason. I also wanted to portray Alex standing straight up to show how he stayed strong to shield the little rock nine even while being beaten.

I knew when I started coming up with ideas I wanted to have Little Rock High School in the background. It felt like it was necessary because it was such a big part of the story. I chose to have him stand alone because in the story no one really came to help him until after he was beaten and then brought to the ground he stood alone and tried to shield the kids from the mob.

This work showed me how sometimes the whole world can be against you but you will always have someone their for you whether it be a friend, family member, or a complete stranger. No matter what you are never alone even when you might be at your lowest someone will always be there for you.

I could let people look at it without context and see what they can pick out. After I would share what everything represents and who L Alex Wilson was and what he did for the people around him. Then when they look at it again they can see it from a different perspective.