Carrie Mae Weems: Memorial Day during the Pandemic
Carrie Mae Weems - A Social studies 101 Project. Pictured from left to right: Francesca Harper, Basil Twist, Carl Hancock-Rux and Helga Davis.
Memorial Day weekend is here, which honors service members who have lost their lives. This year has begged the question, what does this Memorial Day mean during COVID 19? Outside of a White House that has contributed to the racism and inequality that has put communities of color and indigenous peoples at higher risk, the flag will fly at half-mast. Syracuse University Artist in Residence Carrie Mae Weems, along with emerging artists Tanya Rice, Jo Shonalda Jackson, and Petra Szilagyi, started a project called Social Studies 101 in 2017 to document the sides of Syracuse that were underrepresented in the news. From this, Weems created a campaign titled RESIST COVID TAKE 6, the ‘take 6’ referring to the 6-foot distance each person should remain apart. Carrie Mae Weems and RESIST COVID TAKE 6 remind us of the systematic changes that have influenced Memorial Day Weekend 2020.
