An Affirmation of Black Womanhood by Deborah Reidy Kelch, Writer, mentor and executive coach.

Exuberant. Vibrant. Edgy. Intimate. Candid. Aspirational. Accusatory. Unflinching. Passionate. Provocative. Courageous. Exquisite.

The images and messages in the three digital posters by Kendall Wharry (Ken) skillfully explore the themes of gender and racial identity, dignity, equality and racial justice, resistance, societal reckoning, resilience, and hope.

As a young, Black woman, Ken embraces art and creativity as a form of self-discovery, reflection, and expression. The digital posters embody her activism and reinforce her deeply held view that there can be no peace without justice.

From her earliest years, painting or drawing allowed Ken to find herself, creating a kind of visual diary of feelings and experiences. Artistic expression helps her navigate and cope with complex emotions, such as the grief associated with her parents’ divorce when she was eight years old. Ken’s art focuses on what is meaningful for her, including the changes she wants to see in the world, and keeps her from giving in to hopelessness when the pace of change is slow, and the challenges seem insurmountable.

Early on Kendall struggled to understand who she was as a biracial woman, daughter of a white mother and a black father, not feeling understood or fully accepted by either the white or black communities. Then and now, many of her friends and colleagues are white and she often finds herself the only person of color at the table.

Through the posters, Ken bravely and unambiguously embraces her identity as a Black woman. Two posters, “Women Aren’t Objects” and “I Will Always Be Black” capture with stark intensity and clarity Ken’s celebration of her core identity as well as the challenges that are the lived experience of today’s Black women.

In the poster focused on women, she illustrates both history and the current reality of gender inequality with powerful images of feminist leaders and the hopeful image of a young girl counting on a more positive future. The design, colors and shapes she uses radiate feminine energy, stressing that women’s equality is still a work in process, and emphatically insisting “women are not objects.”

In the poster focused on black identity, Ken poignantly portrays the dilemma she faced as a biracial child, centering on the image of a child choosing between a white and black doll. The repetition of “I Am Always Black” validates her Black identity and the words “resistance,” “resilience,” and “justice” underscore the realities of being Black in the United States.

The third poster, “Blue Lives Don’t Exist,” highlights the urgency and context of the Black Lives Matter movement, directly confronting the efforts to delegitimize the movement and its calls for reform. Ken recognizes the poster is provocative, and could be offensive to some, but she hopes it will spark a conversation and encourage dialogue. For Ken, the poster’s meaning is straightforward. Police officers chose their profession and can take off their unforms, but she and her community can never stop being Black.

Through these extraordinary posters, Ken convinces us that she would never need or want to be anything other than a proud Black woman.

Author reflection

I was thrilled to have the chance to work on this project! It was an enriching experience for me start to finish. What I did not anticipate is the profound impact the connection with Ken would have for me personally. Ken not only shared her compelling story with me, but she also (unknowingly) inspired me to reinvigorate my own creative expression through writing and art. I am grateful to her, and to the project, for this opportunity and the surprising gifts I received.