Jazzmen Lee-Johnson

This artwork from Jazzmen Lee-Johnson definitely is a callback to childhood experiences of being shut out of spaces because of my racial identity or economic status.  

My parents wanted to buy their first house on the East Side of Providence, the wealthier part of the city. The schools were better, the neighborhoods were better, and so was the overall quality of life. My parents had the money to buy a house, but when they asked about one, the price listed online was apparently “not the right price,” according to the realtor. When a white family became interested in the same house, the price dropped to the amount that was listed online. My parents were shut out from this opportunity to create a better life for themselves and me. 

– Cooky Clementine, RAC member