Trayvon Martin supporters inspire the Portraits of Trayvon Book Project

Aug. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- Washington, DC – August 22, 2012 – Educator, author, and performing artist Stephanie Johnson is chronicling the provocative, and often tear-jerking, visual rhetoric sparked by the case of Trayvon Martin.  Marked as suspicious because he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, Trayvon was followed and murdered.  As details about the incident surfaced, the wearing of a hood became the popular symbol of a person’s commitment to stand against criminal profiling based on race and apparel.  To show the continual support of justice for Trayvon Martin and to continue to raise funds for his family’s legal fees, Portraits of Trayvon is collecting and archiving images of hooded subjects, as well as short commentaries describing those images.
 
“I was emotionally moved by the plethora of images I witnessed,” says Stephanie Johnson.  “People were wearing hoods everywhere.  I went through my own arduous process of deciding whether or not to share an image of myself on Facebook, and I chose to do it.  Doing it was an indescribable experience for me.  Doing it made me a part of a communal voice for justice that shouted its cause from the echoed gaze of historical pain and anger.  Doing it reminded me of the countless individuals in my culture’s history who risked their very lives for our freedoms.  So, while donning my hood, I, with reddish eyes, heavy heart, and tear-stained cheeks, stepped into the conversation.”

For publishing consideration, please submit a photo of you wearing your hood, an additional photo of yourself, and your 300-word commentary by September 30, 2012, to portraitsoftrayvon@gmail.com.

About the Author

An educator, author, and performing artist, Stephanie Johnson has served as editor for the Negro Educational Review, written for the Howard Magazine, appeared in the article “Praise and Prosper,” published in the March 2007 issue of Upscale Magazine, and self-published two journals. Currently, she works as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Maryland, University College.

CONTACT:

Stephanie Johnson
301-385-3852
http://www.hearthandhomeproject.org
portraitsoftrayvon@gmail.com