I have to say I'm not a big fan of public art. Doesn't usually look good. This isn't bad but New York suffers from abominable public art and the Public Art Fund is responsible for a lot of junk. Madison Square Park shouldn't have art in it, it's too small. There's 100 art museums in this city. Isn't that enough?
2
What a fabulous idea. And i feel that White Americans have to learn how to Cherish, yes, cherish, African Americans. Without African Americans, Irish, Jews, Italians, Asians, USA would be as boring as Sweden. (no offense, Swedes)
We would have no rock n roll, no Hollywood, pretty lame slang (98% of US slang begins in the African American community). Our pop music would be Abba and yodeling....Good ole fashioned Christian love is all ya need.
And African American culture is a distinct culture from African culture. Af-Ams are central to the core of USA. They built the USA as much or more than anyone else, so get real racists.
As to Islam. Its understandable that with Al Qaeda, Daesh, Taliban, "Death to America" Ayatollahs, etc, people are scared. But once again, you'll gotta go out and meet some normal Muslims. Watch the movie Condemned to Remember about the 81 year old Holocaust survivor invited by the Imam in Dublin to celebrate his birthday at the Mosque and speak about the Holocaust to a group of Muslims from around the world. Watch them come up one by one and thank him for coming...Solidarity. Its Climate Emergency and Plastic you should be on about, my frightened white friends.
37
I commend the people responsible for this exhibition and the artist on a job well-done. Courageous and forward-thinking - bravo!
That said, I share the views of many of the commentators on this board regarding the South. I have never felt welcome in Georgia by native Southerners especially outside of Atlanta. Don't get me wrong - no one is calling me a "Yankee invader," a carpetbagger, or a "San Francisco lib" (my former home). Such people are unfailingly polite but would never have anything to do with me outside of forced social interactions in public venues. Anyone who has moved here is well-acquainted with "fake Southern hospitality."
The continued homage to the Confederacy is also appalling. I live in Decatur - one of the most liberal communities in Georgia - which is home to an ongoing battle over a Civil War monument outside the local courthouse and a short drive to the Confederate Rushmore - Stone Mountain. Confederate flags are uncommon in the city, but large flags are prominently displayed elsewhere such as next to the freeway from Macon to Savannah, just north of Valdosta, and on the road to western North Carolina.
I have subjected my California spouse to enough of this nonsense all for the sake of my career. Georgia will never feel like home to us. We have made our plans to return to the West Coast and never venture south again. And spare me the "Delta is ready when you are" retort. I have heard it too many times - it is trite and not clever.
31
Mr Dhooge, I am a native Georgian, Savannah is my home. I hope you are giving us a fair chance, in that you and your wife have treated your neighbors and city with due respect. I just find it hard to believe that anyone would prefer the West Coast to Georgia. I surmise that the problem might be you. Go bask in the artificial glory out west. We Georgians don’t need the likes of you
10
Glad you didn’t take his comments personally... not make generalizations and further stereotypes! Perhaps, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
20
I come from providence. A Jewish friend lived within very close sight of a portrait of a Muslim woman. She, a good liberal well educated person, commented that she sort of took it personally. Well none of us took the portrait of the Narragansett woman “personally”. I was pretty shocked and saddened. Since when in America do our differences tear us apart. Muslims have been in America as long as Jews. As long, that it, from the first sailing of the Spanish ships. Muslims aren’t out to get America any more than Jews are. We are America.
24
Will anybody admit that hijabs/chadors/yashmaks can be frightening and, take some getting used to? I feel like this is a cultural divide based on a misunderstanding which will not heal without the initial admission and acceptance.
9
@DieselEstate, I find a hijab far less frightening than a confederate flag.
17
It is sooo scary to see people in hijabs and chadors. It triggers my PTSD. I attended catholic school and all those mean and punitive nuns wore head coverings reminiscent of hijabs. Even now the inability to see a woman’s hair causes me to break out in sweat and tremors.
2
What an excellent subject and article. Award-worthy.
8
Kudos to Newnan for engaging in the dialogue and calling out the racism.
4
Mr. Patterson’s reading of his ancestor’s will was a moving example of how churches can use the language of confession, forgiveness and redemption to promote racial healing. I would imagine that most white Americans with pre-Civil War ancestry have a similar tale to tell. Could churches encourage people to confront the actions of those who came before them, so that we all might finally begin to work together to end the Civil War?
13
Well that remark is in itself unfair and betrays a lack of an understanding of history. I’m white and my ancestry on my father’s side goes back to the mid-1840s in this country. My great-great-great aunt (an immigrant, by the way) voluntarily moved to “Bloody Kansas” during the Border War years before the Civil War because she had married a Quaker, was an abolitionist from western NY, and wanted to help keep it as a Free State. She was one of the founders of Geneva KS and was much-mourned upon her death. Her brother died of his wounds received on the third day at Gettysburg, fighting on the Federal side. He lies buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery not 100 yards from where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. My family history isn’t unusual and I’m proud that my ancestors were on the right side of history.
10
To average people in Newman, it probably looks like they are in one of those Alien Occupation movies.
Propaganda (from the Cambridge Dictionary): "Information, ideas, or images, often only giving one part of an argument, that are broadcast, published, or in some way spread with the intention of influencing people's opinions."
If more towns start doing this, don't be surprised if disgruntled people who resent being judged and labeled by outsider "elites" --where they live, no less--begin setting these things on fire, or engaging in counter actions.
Engaging in a moralistic, public action, like this display, and leaving no acceptable way to object or disagree without being labeled "racist" is a tactic right out of the totalitarian playbook (think Maoism, Leninism).
8
And here I was thinking that the average person in tow was thinking what is the fuss about?
I don't get the comments about "don't let them wear hijabs unless Muslims start campaigning for human rights in the countries they left." Really. If that was the standard for being here and observing customs from your homeland or religion, how many people would be left? Unless I move to one of the few Orthodox Jewish enclaves in our country, and I'm not part of that community, everyday I have to drive by churches with signs telling me I'm worshipping the wrong way. Are all the parishioners out there fighting for human rights in this country, much less where their families came from? Give me a break. There are plenty of women where I live wearing hijabs or similar garments. None of them has ever made any demands on us to follow their way of living.
26
Apparently human beings continue to be educable and able to evolve in their thinking. Letting go of prejudices usually occurs incrementally, not overnight. Good for Newnan for taking a step forward. Change can be hard.
16
an interesting and worthwhile project.
While there's no excuse for any mistreatment of the Shah sisters or any other US Muslims, I do think it is legitimate to question the use of the hijabs in the photo. It sets Muslim women apart, but not Muslim men. And though there is much support for fair treatent of Muslims in the US, where is the support for fair treatment on non-Muslims in Islamic countries? We insist on the rights of women to wear head coverings in the US if they choose to, but where is the campaign to give women in Islamic countries the same choice?
I think if non-Catholics were treated in Italy as badly as non-Muslims in places like Saudi Arabia, the western world including almost all Catholics would object. But I don't see such a campaign for tolerance amongst Muslims anywhere. Until they insist on the same rights for non-Muslims in Islamic countries as they want here, the Muslims in the US will continue to face some suspicion.
11
.."“We have been here seven years,” said Aatika Shah, 22, “and now because they have never seen us and then saw our picture, they somehow think we don’t belong.”...
Please allow me to take Ms. Shah's comment, remove her from it personally and expand upon it. What follows has nothing to do with her faith or culture.
"We've been here 'X' years". This is a common statement people make when moving to small towns. The assumption is that because you live someplace you are now a part of it.
Truly belonging to a place is so much more than living there. What do you do to become a part of it's community? How much do you invest in what is already there? Many who move from big cites say they are looking for a 'better' life - whatever that means for them - yet they bring their big city expectations with them. They wish for Whole Foods or big box stores to be within convenient distances. They expect the smells of rural life to be eliminated in much the same as those who move into the flight path of an airport and complain about noise.
Belonging to a place means embracing all the things that brought you there and carefully considering what changes you expect. While no town can forestall change and growth, that growth should seek to honor everyone who is in the community. Transplants are sometimes too impatient in their desire to change a town.
Sadly, comments here descend into the stereotypical southern bashing and only fuel our divisions.
10
The attacks on Muslims cited in the article shows why organized school prayer should never be reinstated.
Many of the Christians who were angered over the pictures of Muslims no doubt support school prayer. However, the only prayer they envision is a Christian one. If Islamic prayers or perhaps even Jewish ones were put into the rotation, they would probably be complaining about this and say that those aren't valid prayers as they are to the wrong god.
18
@Steve : Muslims worship the exact same God as Jews and Christians.
2
What I don't know is why, Neo-Nazi, White Supremacists, etc. are not considered domestic terrorists. These groups don't just make comments, but cause violence. These type of people should not be protected. Racism has no place in America and should be expunged from our society. Free speech does not afford you the right, to destroy others.
19
You're correct, and they don't need to cause violence to be terrorists. I'm a Jew. I didn't have relatives in concentration camps,but I have good friends whose parents were. Swastikas fill me with both involuntary rage and fear. If I'm having that reaction, imagine what it could be doing to the people who were in the camps, or whose parents or loved ones died on them. A lot of Jews I know have talked about going to another country. That's what terrorism is about, isn't it? And the president stokes up the hate groups. He should be supporting Virginia's concerns about the "Second Amendment" march, instead he's inviting a replay of Charlottesville or worse.
4
We need to stop using the word 'race'. We are from different a ethnicity, culture, and background but we are biologically one race: the human race. If we taught more about cultural geography in our schools perhaps we could have more understanding. The mistrust and hatred of others is taught - a learned behavior. Give people more information and let them see for themselves the beauty of our varied world.
11
Alex, race is just a concept that humans made up and we repeat that it should be ignored when it best serves you. That is the kind of rhetoric that keeps these systems of oppression in place today.
In our society we can’t ignore that race does exist and that blacks are treated worse by white. And that some humans are afforded more rights in our society than others.
So regardless of whether you use the word race, some subset of humans today have more rights both politically and culturally today.
1
Some of the most powerful words are “reconciliation,” “redemption,” “empathy,” forgiveness,” “togetherness,” “love.” All humans now exist of a planet that is dying. We are now all the same, heading ourselves and our progeny and all other life to the brink of extinction. That is the big picture we must begin to focus on beginning today. Let’s look each other in the eyes, let’s reach out in love and support, and let’s save this planet together with the knowledge that we all do now truly need each other. We are a family.
13
I agree with the sentiment about people coming together. The planet isn’t dying - it won’t support human life, but it will keep going. It doesn’t need us - we need it.
6
No literally we are killing the planet’s ability to support life that is created by photosynthesis. Some organisms will be around. It just won’t be us or anything like us that feeds on carbon and created oxygen.
2
I am a liberal. I believe people should live the way they want to as long as they don't threaten other people. Yet I find the hijab offensive. I see it as a public advertisement of ones religion and its major influence in the wearers life. I think religion is divisive and separates people. I also think ones religious beliefs should be private. wearing a small cross or star of David to me is stuble, the hijab not so much. My understanding of the function of the hijab is to not excite men. Nothing could be more offensive to me than doing something because of men's "uncontrollable sex drive". My reaction is visceral. Perhaps I need to do more research.
13
For our sakes, I am thankful that more empathetic and forward thinking people wrote the constitution.
8
I coach writing international students at a large university. Many of them are Muslims; they come from a large number of countries in Europe, Africa, and all across Asia. I work also with refugees. The people who are most resistant to people from other cultures and religions probably most likely have never spent time with people from other backgrounds. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with and get to know the students and families I work with, to learn about their countries, their families and their hopes for building a better world. My life, as well as our community and our university, are richer for their presence.
13
I am a westerner, born in California and currently retired in Oregon. Almost all I know of the south is from reading about it, both in literature, non-fiction, and journalism. The last good news coming from the south that I have read about is MLK Jr. The south, so far as I can tell, is as racist as it ever was apart from public hangings, rapes, and murders, all of which have been shamed out of existence.
So many in the south want either a civil war or to secede. To them I say: go ahead. Take your theocratic state, your slavish devotion to Trump, your worship of firearms, and your multitudes on federal assistance who express hatred for "Washington." I doubt you will need a border wall because no rational person who wants a better life will try to enter.
22
There appears to be at least one muslim family in this town and so they rate a picture. I see no pictures of Jewish people. I guess that means there are no Jewish people there.
11
Maybe people who are Jewish are too smart to move to such a small, bigoted town.
3
The portraits and their placement are beautiful! The fact that they have sparked discussion means they are meaningful. It is especially hopeful, I think, that local churches are playing a roll in encouraging that discussion.
Thank you, NYT, for bringing us this story.
Sarah
20
The best art sparks discussion. This is a perfect example of that.
24
I’m so tired of this racist nonsense.
In a place like UNITED states of America, which is build on diversity and immigrants from all over the world, whether they came two hundred years ago or ten years ago... there is no room for this xenophobic and racist attitude towards the ‘other.’
White South has an issue and Civil war just exposed it to the entire world— but they never learned.
It’s shameful to say there has been such unchecked hostility, animosity and hatred through generations, through upbringing that it’s literally a part of South’s DNA now.
Shameful!
Caucasian South has a lot of soul searching to do. Their sins are not only sins of their fathers, they have carried them on.
There is a difference, and on close introspection, it get some uglier and uglier.
One can hope there are more people like the pastor, Mr Patterson.
One hopes...
22
Sounds like the rest of America, except that we are terribly divided politically a well. I can't talk any longer to my friends about politics - does that mean I don't have real friends? I never required my friends to think as I do.
7
Good article, but I am surprised that it never mentions the key race relations event in Newnan's past, the lynching of Sam Hose, which put Newnan on the map in 1899. Cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_of_Sam_Hose . Neo-Confederates were very influential in Newnan as recently as 2010, perhaps in part owing to lingering effects of the lynching, when the white community came together to sell body parts of the victim, etc.
20
Thank you, for sharing this reference.
5
@James W Loewen : so people alive today, are to blame for what happened in 1899???
Anyone who was alive then, would be over 120 years old today…..
2
Southerners will not be portrayed as racist rednecks if they do not act like them. And nobody pushes anybody toward Islam if Islam is simply acknowledged as one of the world's major religions with more than a billion adherents. My impression is that there are always disgruntled malcontents who love stirring things up and who hate seeing change. When they see that others refuse to buy into their opinions, they may simmer, they may stew but they become more outwardly accepting even though they may harbor bigoted and racist thoughts.
16
Thank you for your honesty and thoughtful comments. I think it helps move the conversation forward. We are creatures who imitate one another.
6
Well, when you rank in society on whether or not your family owned slaves, and your Southern nickname counts for something, you aren't going to hang around with Nazis.
3
I have lived in GA for the last 12 years after living in CA for most of my 59 years. I am Hispanic. The South is the South. But now is more a hotbed of Trump worshipers than racism. The sad fact is that the majority of racist acts my family and I have encountered have come from the African American community than from Whites.
That is the South: ready to embrace any new scapegoat to justify their way of life.
19
Are African-Americans in charge of the government and all of the businesses where you live?
If not, what you’ve experienced from African-Americans isn’t racism. It might be bigotry or bias, but it’s not racism. Racism is when the majority/oppressor race keeps another race (or races) down *systematically*.
Blacks in this country can’t really be racists.
6
Such ignorance of the South coming from the supposedly woke community of Ann Arbor, a white enclave for escape from nearby Detroit. Try visiting the South and see what you find. If your eyes are open, you will see substantially better race relations than anywhere in Michigan.
1
I'm forced to defend the word "devolve" once again. It has a specific meaning and that's not "degenerate". Please let devolve retain its necessary and specific meaning and use the proper words when you want to convey "get worse".
8
Hijabs are an expression of a fundamentalist view of Islam and promote the subjugation of women.
I think it is fair that many people including moderate Muslims would not want an intolerant symbol posted in their town.
You could make the case that it worn out of choice, but dig deeper and read the facts of it from those Islamic women brave enough to speak out against it.
16
Tell that to my aunt, who is one of Australia’s top geneticists, whose husband gave up his career to support hers, and who proudly—not that it’s any business of yours—wears a hijab.
29
Why, then, is it acceptable for orthodox Jewish women, Amish women and other Christian sects to wear head coverings (or wigs) for religious reasons but not Muslim women? Do you think that those other religions are any more or less demeaning to women? Why is it acceptable for Amish women, orthodox Jewish women, some groups of mainstream Mormon women and other Christian sects to wear body concealing clothing but not Muslim women? There are many examples of women who wear concealing garments for religious reasons. Keeping your focus so narrowly focused on Muslims shows a distinct lack of understanding around the nature of orthodox religions and the expectations attached.
39
My great aunt was a Catholic nun from age 24 to her death at age 84. While living in one of the poorest countries in the world she founded a MS and PHD program at a university. Through this effort thousands, likely tens of thousands, of the poor were served.
She chose to follow her religion’s rules: covered her hair and body, didn’t drink or smoke, didn’t marry, didn’t have sex, etc. In my life and throughout hers, no one judged her to be subjugated. She was as productive as she chose to be and never felt inferior, kept down, or other such nonsense.
I see women following their Muslim faith just like I see my aunt the nun: devoted.
How about we let people express their faith and love them just as they are? That is something that Jesus and MLK promoted.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day.
21
I live in Newnan. It is so easy for journalism to look for the racist southern trope, so I'm glad to see a balanced and mostly positive article about a small town and it's art display. I'm proud that a small town went beyond the usual bland collection of citizen hobbies and hosted an exhibit that does what art can do: spur us, challenge us, please us, and be beautiful.
56
Well said.
6
America has always been in flux, in a process of slow or radical change. And the people who see themselves in places of dominance, who feel threatened by change they didn't control, have sometimes felt any means are necessary to keep their traditions in place.
Having lived in Atlanta formerly for 14 years, it seemed that a city with amazing diversity had settled into a silent segregation, where the races largely lived in geographic areas of their own -- class, caste, and color all to their own at the end of the day.
Trump has driven racism to the foreground, just as Newnan's outsize photos have ironically tried to display change that can be beautiful. Art often seeds controversy. I hope Newnan's diversity grows, and Trump and his supporters' racism vanish. But I think we have a long way to go.
I place great faith in our younger generations, many of whom have friends of greater diversity, and look past surfaces, and value difference. Let's allow them to grow into maturity with an increasing number of people of color who expand the richness of our country, not the richness of the portfolios of those white men in power making the biggest decisions for them.
19
This is the only way we can get through with in this case art breaking the ice:
“They have prompted deep conversations between people who had never met. “The truth is, these conversations are hard and uncomfortable and awkward but we need to lean into it.” Let’s talk about values.
11
Although population number is stated clearly in the text, the lead is misleading. 40,000 people is not a "small southern town."
Yet the narrative is as if Atticus Finch is going to come walking by, past the one traffic light. Give me a break. Lots of places in the greater Atlanta metro area are experiencing demographic shifts as they sprawl, driven by cookie cutter development. And yes, there are tensions. Including resentment of affluent young whites in what were once predominantly black areas.
There's a bigger story but you wouldn't know it from this set piece.
13
@jroberts36.
Your tone is largely harsh and dismissive, maybe a little angry too. Why? It’s just one article—a very well done one in my view. Does it have to cover “a bigger story”?
12
It is painful, but people do need to talk. Well done to everyone who participated in the photos.
11
The United States can die from racism. It can make liberty and self-government unattainable in the face of deliberately unreasoning hatred. We could easily find ourselves becoming the next former Yugoslavia locked in genocidal internecine war. Who would invite the parties to a Dayton to settle such a conflict? We are likelier to simply dissolve and become indistinguishable from other failed states like Somalia and Yemen -- a place for other nations to carry out their own suppressed conflicts on our soil and people.
13
It should be clear to everyone that America is changing.
The population which we call "non-Hinspanic white" is beginning to decline in number. If we only count those under the age of 50, then the decline is very significant and accelerating.
The Hispanic population, of all colors, is growing very quickly due to an higher birthrate and immigration. The African-American proportion of the population is also growing; this includes increasing immigration from Africa. People from South Asia and East Asia continue to emigrate to the U.S.
Thus it is fair to say that the so-called "white" population will become an ever decreasing proportion of the American population. Of course, it will level out some day, but probably not before before it becomes less than a quarter of the total.
We must ensure that the "new" population has all the tools needed to maintain the U.S. as the leader of democracy.
9
This is not a surprising story, if you study American history. I could not even write anything else without stating some huge discrimination/injustice/domination and exclusion of some group or groups (you know who) against others (you also know who). This town is a speck of sand in the big beach of the history of the United States. The only thing that makes me sleep at night is the thought that there are heros who lived and sacrificed to show Americans their better angels. And you also know who they are. Thank God for them.
10
I wish I could fly all of you (make that “all y’all”) to my hometown to show you these beautiful portraits. You have to see them to understand the impact. Writing that this art is to "celebrate diversity and embrace change” is true but almost trivializes it. As others here have written much of the beauty is in its simplicity. Ms. Meehan has entitled her work “Seeing Newnan.” How easy it is for us to share our community with others and yet hardly see them! The fact that these portraits are huge, and prominently displayed on public buildings downtown, is significant. You have no choice but to take a good look at your neighbor (and it begs that old Christian question, “Who is my neighbor?”).
Ariel’s portrait hangs on Wadsworth Auditorium, named for Charles Wadsworth, a hometown hero, founder of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Beverly Sills accompanist for 20 years. I travel to Newnan every spring to continue the chamber music concerts he started there. People in Newnan love the arts.
They also love diversity far more than people think. The article leaves out that the neo-Nazis were from Michigan. The handful of Nazis who showed up were greeted by children’s chalk art - flowers, Bible verses, Maya Angelo quotations, unicorns pooting rainbows. Throngs of people showed up the night before for a show of unity with music and an interfaith service. I'm immensely proud of Newnan, and grateful for Mary Beth Meehan and the good folks who brought her there.
56
I left the south years ago for many of the reasons evident in this article, though such attitudes are common in my current village in the rural northeast.
The episode described is depressing and so very discouraging. I am so tired of living in a backwards country filled with people who hold unprogressive, parochial views towards other humans. I'm tired of hearing these stories over and over again.
Call me a Liberal if you must, but it seems we really can no longer afford to tolerate the intolerant---many of whom are "red-blooded Americans," rather than immigrants. This fuels the downfall of our country.
20
@Espe Ranza , You know what they say. Delta is ready when you are.
5
The strength of our nation is in our diversity. White men need to get over it.
31
Diversity has very little to do with the strength of our country. What makes this country great is individuals working hard in the belief that anyone can get ahead no matter what their background. Making everyone a victim is the opposite message. I don’t support diversity for diversity’s sake. I support anyone who wants to come here to better themselves and this country.
21
I am an international student who is currently studying in the United States. The event that this article describes is interesting and unfamiliar to me because people would not celebrate diversity and embrace cultural changes by putting people’s portraits and photographs on the wall in places where I used to live. However, even though I have never been to Newnan before, I have recognized the influences and importances that diversity brings to Newnan after I read this article.
Globalization is developing rapidly nowadays; people would love to visit different countries for their own reasons such as searching for better job opportunities. I believe the United States is one of the most popular countries that people worldwide would choose to live. When this artistic event occurs, people’s reactions are different but intense.
I have noticed that the population of immigrants in the United States increases significantly these years. Therefore, people’s living environment in the community has changed due to cultural diversity. Nonetheless, some people still cannot embrace varieties of race, gender, and identity easily. As an international student, I would say it is very important for people from different countries to embrace and respect each other in the community. Although it might be painful and difficult for some people to embrace it in a short time, it is still critical for people to consider its importance.
9
Interesting about how everyone is ragging on one guy in a town for his reaction to a large poster. All he did was post some comments. Its not like he tried to pass a Muslim travel ban to the country or something.
If an artist did a similar art project here in Seattle but swapped out the Muslim girls with a large poster of a gun-toting MAGA hat guy, I guarantee you that there would soon be a large protest and unless the city called out the SWAT team, it would be torn down by sunset and set on fire.
And as a gay man who has lived all across this country, I can also guarantee that if just about any town put up a huge poster of a black man making out with a white man, you would get quite a bit more reaction than one guy spouting off on Facebook about two Muslim girls.
Every community on earth has its own prejudices and bigotry. Newnan, Georgia seems pretty tolerant compared to most places like New York City. I'll bet those two Muslim girls feel safer in Newnan, Georgia than Orthodox Jews do today in the Big Apple.
27
I’m sorry the portraits are coming down in June. The dialogue and reactions, though painful and difficult at times, are an opportunity for all of us to see what’s going on all over America today.
6
Posting these images in this town was a stroke of genius. This should happen more places. The resultant discussion is good even though it may bring some hidden bias into the open and cause some pain. Bringing it into the open and discussing it will hopefully lead to its elimination.
16
Amazing how people from the northeast and the west coast ignore how segregated and racist many people and places near them are. The south has made more progress over the last 50 years.
10
A lot of catholic women used to wear a scarf to Church, I remember my mother doing it. What is the big deal about a hijab? It represents a religious tradition, and somewhere in our constitution we have freedom of religion.
38
"Mr. Shelnutt, who grew up in Newnan and owns a small construction company, denied being racist. 'I do not feel like the two women in the photo are radical or dangerous,' he said. 'I just do not think Newnan should be pushed to embrace Islam'.”
Mr. Shelnutt doesn't get it. Newnan in not being "pushed to embrace Islam." Newnan IS being pushed to embrace these two beautiful young women.
53
I also wore a chapel veil to Mass for many years. It was more recently replaced by a scarf to cover my sore and bald head as a result of chemotherapy. The young bank teller who wore the hijab was so kind and supportive in encouragement of how to wear and pin my scarf. The small miracle of empathy. Her Aunt was also having chemo at the time.
10
Thanks to Ms. Meehan for superb photography. This is yet a serious reminder that the "We" in the preamble of the Constitution is not a society of human clones. Our appearances vary, as do our thoughts. We wear skullcaps, cassocks, hijab, turbans, piercings, body ink, ragged clothes, suits. Elsewhere in the Times today is an analysis of how demographics are changing throughout the whole US. Our diversity is our strength and our future.
14
Thank you Mr. Hancock and Ms. Meehan for your excellent work. Aatica and Zahraw lived here as children, so I am proud to see two former Athenians featured. I hope to see the installation in Newnan before it comes down. What a beautiful work of public art!
27
The renowned architect, Hal Box, once said that a number of his clients asked him about what great art was.
And his answer was this: A great piece of art is one that you have an emotional reaction to every single day.
Newnan has figured out masterworks for its town.
And I hope the town leaders will figure out a way to preserve these images for eternity. For one day, we will all be intermarried/connected, and we'll wonder what all the fuss was about.
24
If one lives near the equator and goes out without covering, like a veil and headscarf, themselves then I'd have to think they'd lost their mind.
And having the chador incorporated into a religion isn't all that weird either. The separation of meat from milk made plenty of sense before refrigerators were invented.
Personally I think wearing a crucified man-symbol, and one that's historically inaccurate to boot, is weird too but I don't think it's so bizarre that I'd get violent or upset.
I am so glad my family moved to S. California from Tennessee in the late 60s when California really was a paradise. Growing up with so many different types of folks made living there special. Great food from so many ethnicities and an abundance of beautiful people makes segregation seem to be unholy, not the other way around.
31
This report is highly informative and well worth reading. However, it refers to the town and county as a conservative area that supported Trump by 70%. No true conservative would ever vote for Trump, except by mistake or if he or she decided to throw away long held principles for the sake of small, niggling gains. Trump is not a conservative but he agreed, for the sake of gaining office he does not know how to handle, to throw bones to conservatives to get their votes. The bones will be all they are left with when the wreckage of the Trump presidency is finally cleared.
19
@Doug Terry If no true conservative would ever vote for Trump then a very small fraction of Republicans are true conservatives - because he has gotten, and will get, 85% of the Republican vote - if not more.
6
"One of his ancestors had owned enslaved people in a nearby county..."
Did the author choose "enslaved people " rather than "slaves "
or did Mr. Patterson choose the term ?
The use of "enslaved people "sounds like a distancing technique.
The ancestor chose to enslave the people by retaining them as slaves after purchasing humans. , when the ancestor could have freed them, then chose to , and to "bequeath " people to family members as if they were property.
13
Making the choice to call people who were enslaved “enslaved people” rather than “slaves” is a recent humanizing technique. It’s meant to convey that they were / are human beings and not chattel. Calling people “slaves” was the original distancing technique—it’s easy to abuse, manipulate, and torture people if they’re not actually people.
10
I always laugh when non-Indigenous people start complaining about all the immigrants. Hey, there is always the option to return to Northern Europe. Oh, I forgot, Europe has been diverse since Roman times. These folks are foolish. We live in a global society. Embrace the beauty of this rich tapestry.
58
Magnificent portraits of Americans.
38
It's amazing what this reveals about inclusivity and belonging. What a great opportunity for conversation! The photos are moving not only in their diversity but their humanity.
14
In a similar vein, I wonder what long time traditional Montgomery residents think about the Legacy Museum in their midst. Have they visited it? Unfortunately, there are still Confederate flags along the roads in Georgia and Alabama. It is cloaked as “history” but in reality pervasive racism has been perpetuated by their traditional southern families and roots.
8
I had to move here recently. I’ve never heard referred to with anything except pride. It was one of the things people pointed out as a positive when I interviewed for a job. It goes well with a slew of Civil Rights museums and stuff here in town. I was pleasantly surprised.
4
“I just do not think Newnan should be pushed to embrace Islam.” -- It is not being pushed to do that. It is being pushed to leave it in peace, to live up to the American ideal embodied in The Constitution that every religion and ethnicity has a right to peace and freedom so long as they abide by the laws of the land.
Mr. Patterson, at least, appears not only to be a patriotic American, but also a real Christian.
Unfortunately:
‘How can we keep this small-town feeling?’ Close all your stores, tear down half the housing and ... i.e., you can't without becoming impoverished in every way.
6
I wonder if Mr Shelnutt could be convinced to meet the Muslim sisters so they are real persons for him.
10
No good deed goes unpunished.
5
This should go without saying, but anyone who has some broad, generalized objections against Islam might want to take a good, hard look at their own religion — and the context in which any of the Abrahamic religions seem to have formed.
Cause precedes effect.
4
Lived in Newnan. The hospitals didn’t desegregate until the ‘70’s. On Good Friday, a local church features grown men hanging on crosses in loincloths replete with blood.
It’s a very strange place. The town that Sherman missed.
13
Change comes extremely slowly to small Southern towns. I've lived in enough of them to know. Basically, you have to wait for the old people to die because they are NOT changing. Sad but true.
17
Sterile images of other people?!! Oh how scandalous! Thank god I don’t live in the South.
3
Even if we are feeling a change is going on, we cannot come to recognize it drastically until some moment. There are several such occasions, a couple of weeks ago I came across a horizontal bar and tried to lift myself on it. It was easy ten years ago, but I couldn't do it at all this time. I think such occasions are needed for us although they are sometimes sad, like this photo show.
2
Aren’t Christians required to push Christianity? Same god, just different interpretation.
1
I travel to Newnan frequently for work, and I think this is gorgeous. Great job.
7
Newnan did a brave and smart thing by displaying these portraits-- all of them. We hope the people of Newnan keep going forward. Please do not turn back in fear.
18
The portraits are stunning -- beautiful works of art, even apart from their context. Ms. Meehan is a wonderful photographer.
14
Art has so much power to illuminate, rejuvenate, reflect, heal, transgress, and awaken. What a fantastic project!
10
A “conversation” on Facebook is not a conversation. Anyone who belongs to a local group or follows a local news outlet can give you the outlines of the way things go when a controversy erupts. (Or non-controversy as I should think these portraits would be) There are always, always the immediate voices of conservative scorn and outrage, followed by (not so much before but I’ve seen an uptick) liberal rejoinders which range from studious to earnest. Conservatives, in what I guess is a display of vice-signaling, accuse the liberals of virtue signaling. The liberals get snide. Moderates gripe about the discourse getting dragged down. It’s the total opposite of the good preacher’s vulnerable and honest account of his family’s history and putting names and personhood on people many southerners still want to see as somewhat deserving of their cruel fate. Of course, if he did that on social media instead of with a group of neighbors looking him in the face I think we’d know how that would play out.
10
Atlanta is now one of the largest Metros in the United States but clearly people still are not going to accept change. The photographs are beautiful and you think these people would be proud of what they have become, plus for the old Dixie guard I am sure they have benefited quite nicely from the escalating cost of real estate in their community, the median home price is now $221, 374 and has gone up 5.2% last year alone. It is expected to go up another 3 % this year.
I am sure that racist's construction business is booming too.
You can thank the newcomers for that one.
10
Injecting politics into the public square isn't a wise thing to do. Liberals were complaining when conservatives were doing it with "In God We Trust" in public areas, and now it's liberals promoting their own ideology.
4
@Eugene Really? Where else should the citizenry talk about politics? In their homes, huddled together with like-minded people who won't challenge their ingrained thoughts? When did it become inappropriate for citizens to talk about politics in public? This is exactly how we got to the polarized, bigoted situation we are in now...
13
@Eugene: In Georgia, we have that on our license plates (see below). Diversity and harmony is a human thing, not just a liberal thing and surely more than an ideology.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336784878357990677/
6
I don’t see this as political, since these are simple portraits of citizens of the same town. They are representative.
24
Genteel manners have always flowed through the veins of Dixieland bigots. The only difference from their Yankee counterparts is that some vote as "blue states" then erect policies to ensure "polite racial segregation" by fancy white zip codes and public school impoverished financial resources "across the tracks".
9
My father's Southern ancestors had to get used to diversity. First, my great grandmother was disowned for marrying great grandpa Wood (wrong class). Then, my Aunt Agnes moved to New Jersey with her girlfriend Mac (the family tyrant, who even called my great grandfather "Dad" and witnessed his will, so the girls would get the loot). These two women bought a house together. No homophobes in my family; no one disowned my aunt, they joined her: my great grandparents also moved to New Jersey, so did my uncles and grandfather. Then my grandfather married a Swede, and my father married a Greek. (I consider myself Greek-American, but Aunt Agnes was my favorite aunt.) My sister married a Cuban, and my niece and nephew are Mayan. I can't wait to see what the next generation brings.
9
@Stephanie Wood Dear Stephanie, you must always "stand your ground." America was not "discovered," as Native Americans lived here well before Chris Columbus. Consequently, embrace your wonderful family mosaic and celebrate your rich American heritage. As the great poet and activist Langston Hughes said, "I Too Sing America." God bless.
I just watched "In the Heat of the Night" on PBS last night. Then I came upon this article. Some things haven't changed much in America, not just the Deep South. I live in a "liberal" village and, while people may not say certain things out loud any longer, they certainly say them in private. Perhaps our village should bring someone like Ms. Meehan in to do a similar project. It's long past time for us to see what America really looks like rather than going around worrying about it. Who knows, we might learn a thing or two about ourselves.
18
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Anyone who can’t see that is missing out.
20
Perhaps it points to the possibility that those who are racist and hold unsubstantiated resentment against unknown strangers are demonstrating a personality disorder. I believe that racist persons treat everyone in the same way, albeit they are strangers, friends or family. The negativity they express affects all aspects of their life.
While they may overtly focus on strangers or someone who 'dresses' differently than they do, they don't try to understand that we are all part of the same community. Somehow they believe that people they don't understand are essentially the same as we are. It is the modern tragedy- rooted in the history of mankind (eg. WWII Germany
) and misplaced in modern, enlighten society.
2
Beautiful portraits; a fantastic installation.
8
We are changing; we aren't there yet but it is happening. It's projects like this in these towns that will ensure we continue to change toward a society which is tolerant of differences rather than threatened by them.
13
@Elex Tenney
That is the goal all over not just in the U.S., well said.
5
Mr shelnut turned to Facebook - well of course he did. Facebook is the go to place for racists. What kind of name is shelnut anyhow? Is it Native American? Then at some point his forefathers were immigrants?
Just sayin ...
16
This is a small point, but the photo of the Shaw sisters in the installation is quite formal. I wonder if an outdoor photo showing a local landscape, like the one William Widmer took for the article, would have changed the reaction of even a few people? Some people will only see the hijabs, but would others past that to the Georgia hills?
This is just a thought experiment. I think the project in Newnan is wonderful and I hope other cities try it.
8
Those that created the term snowflake see to be the biggest ones ever.
18
If you don't like the pictures or they offend you, avert your eyes.
4
Such a great idea for an art exhibit, and just from a simple collection of photos. Brilliant.
8
Beautiful idea and beautiful portraits.
7
I have traveled all over the US for work and this reaction not unexpected. People who walk same streets, shop same stores, eat at same "food courts" have idea about each other.
Everyday life is one thing, realty is something else. The former is not real, it is just your life. But what is broadcast is the real world's life. Antagonism, hatred, xenophobia, intolerance is preached constantly in the Real World. If you don't have any of that in "your life", then your life is not even related to the real world.
Antagonism, hatred, xenophobia, intolerance, etc. give your life meaning. So, it is easy to take sides, hate or hate the haters. Those in the know, know how to make money off of that, politically, and better yet, commercially.
This is not just the South. It is anywhere US.
6
It takes a lot of courage to admit you have done something wrong and ask for forgiveness. Thank you Mr. Patterson.
16
Beautiful portraits. I’ve only read a few comments and, having done so, now encourage those who are arguing to stop, observe, and appreciate these great photos instead of spending time fighting.
Thanks to the brave people featured in this story.
5
" “I feel like Islam is a threat to the American way of life,” he said. “There should be no positive portrayals of it.”
The great irony of this comment is that the same Muslims who make some feel "uncomfortable" are probably more conservative than their accusers. They may have more in common than they think but the sight of a hijab and a general fear and ignorance of "the other" stands in the way.
8
@D. Knight
I don't know about muslims being more conservative, but the fear is not entirely unfounded, certain symbols can be associated with extremism, and generally extremism in any form is undesirable. One has to overcome that fear where it is not warranted I would agree but to deny it is not there is disingenuous.
4
@D. Knight
True. Islam is very, very conservative... Ask the women who wear the veils...and suffer under its yoke..
7
@MarcusAurelius, you must not know many Muslims, particularly women. A)there are both liberal and conservative followers of just about every faith and B) the Muslim women I know who wear hijab (okay ___, “veils”), prefer to keep their hair, head and shoulders from public view so those they meet will focus on their words and intelligence (most are physicians and professors).
7
“Mr. Shelnutt, who grew up in Newnan and owns a small construction company, denied being racist. “I do not feel like the two women in the photo are radical or dangerous,” he said. “I just do not think Newnan should be pushed to embrace Islam.”
I can’t help feeling the same way about the push in this country to shove an ultra-conservative and radical Christianity down our throats. When Roe vs Wade is being dismantled by the Christian Right and businesses, pharmacists and others are allied to discriminate against gays and women THAT’s Sharia Law. Christians seem to interpret freedom of religion as the right to legally enshrine and push their beliefs on others.
69
I feel so very fortunate that I went to Nursing School at Emory, worked in Atlanta for a few years, then joined the Navy. I learned early on from my parents that we should not be racist, even though they themselves were. They were not KKK or anything but they did not support harming or threatening anyone. In any case I embraced the nursing principle of taking care of anyone and everyone and providing good care to anyone who became my patient. I traveled in the Navy and was introduced to people from other cultures, and faiths, other ways of looking at the world. I never once felt anyone was out to get me or convert me or influence my beliefs. I did enjoy a very broad experience with the people I worked with, socialized with, and those I cared for. it all added up to a rich tapestry of experience and I savor every minute of it. One of my good friends and a wonderful person was a Muslim that knew my husband in the Navy. When my husband died he came every day to help me, did not matter what I needed done. Even if I did not need anything he still came just to sit with me and talk. He never once said anything about his beliefs but the manner in which he treated me and my daughter was one of the best examples of pure human kindness I think I ever experienced. I wonder, when I read stuff about people expressing negative thoughts about 2 young ladies because they wear the hijabs is---What are you afraid of? Talk to them, just pass the day with them, just don't be afraid of them.
36
And Iowa and New Hampshire look like the rest of the country?
3
The South has got to change! The South is changing. The South will change. It is the inevitable progression of life that nothing stays the same. We are all headed for this in 2043 when the country no longer remains majority white. Nothing will stop it. None of the rallies. None of the president's tirades. No wall. No travel bans. Nothing. We are marching toward change with each death and each child born in this country every day. We need to set aside our old prejudices and embrace a new Newnan, a new Georgia, a new North Carolina and a new America.
5
May 8, 1942, Dorothea Lange photographed the Mochida family awaiting transport and eventual internment/imprisonment, solely because the parents had been born in Japan. The children were all American citizens. The photograph was taken on the lawn of the library in my hometown, Hayward, CA. That photograph forced me to confront the reality that the good people of Hayward were complicit in this fear, hate, and race-based action.
Ms. Meehan's photographs give the good people of Newnan a chance to learn about themselves as they learn about their neighbors.
21
One thought, in my sixties and having experienced life in a racially charged small city during the 1960’s. ALL Americans originally came from different countries and cultures. In the area of Pennsylvania where I grew up, there were distinctly different cultures and immigrants from Italy, Poland, and Germany, and segregated neighborhoods of black Americans, Hispanics, and everything in between. As I got older, I appreciated more and more the rich heritage I inherited from all these people in our city and their cultures. Maybe I was just lucky to live with open-minded parents, both of German descent and so accepting of everyone. They were exceptional role models.
Life is too short to shut one’s self off in a box of sameness. I’m sorry for anyone who misses out on any human experience that helps us grow and embrace life, with all of its beauty and its flaws. We only get one life to be our best selves.
I applaud the artistry and the conversations about acceptance in Newnan. All people matter.
12
Did your parents raise you in a racially integrated neighborhood?
2
We were semi-integrated, because different minorities got segregated together. Italian, Greek, Sikh, Jew, Latinx, Portuguese, Muslim, African-American, etc. But there was this one white Southern family, and they were the oddballs in the neighborhood.
@Stephanie Wood :"We were semi-integrated, because different minorities got segregated together."
Got segregated together? Sounds like rationalization.
1
Mind-boggling that simple portraits of people who live in a town - displayed in that very same town - somehow cause controversy. What is wrong with us humans?!
10
I think it's a cool photography project, and shares some positivity about the community while simultaneously outing the bigots.
Good Job, everyone involved.
14
I'm not defending the South, but this would happen in suburbs in the North, as well. Until the power is taken from those who perpetuate the white supremacy enshrined in the very founding of this country there'll be no justice. The process is beginning but it will be painful.
7
frankly I feel spooked when I see men in red baseball caps nowadays.
60
@karen
Me too. Khaki pants and white polo shirts are also problematic for me now. I won't wear them. Ever. I still have khaki pants, but I always make it a point to wear black shirts, lol. Thankfully, I've never owned a white polo or a red hat.
9
@ networthy, re "thinskinned" etc, I think several of us are waiting for your example of "true but politically incorrect, ..."!
11
Are the soldiers of those who commit crimes against humanity subject to prosecution? If not, then we would be wise to admit defeat. We cannot win just wars in the future by fighting wars of the past anew.
Our census should have such a question — Those who swear allegiance to vanquished adversaries ought to be enlisted to meet the same fate.
@Daniel Kauffman
Uh, what?
3
Does he mean Confederates?
1
I live in a small southern Georgia town. Population similar to Newnan. They also created a similar public art exhibition but it was mainly of white young people. It was curated by an organization that seems to run the town, and primarily supports the wealthy white families and the local private school, also mainly white. Their magazines show mainly white faces although the majority of the town is black. Black families are still left out and non profits that help support underserved children get less support than the humane society. Professionals of color tend to come and leave quickly, feeling unwelcome or ignored by the locals. This is a Republican, Trump town and though it seems charming, seen at closer look is no different than other racist southern city.
40
Good for Rev. Patterson. Now let's see some other Southern pastors do the same. And let's see some pulpit and choir exchanges between the predominantly black and white congregations in every Southern town. It's time to realize we are all God's children.
5
I am an immigrant and naturalized American citizen for 27 years. I am married to an Anglo-Saxon American, and live in Birmingham, Alabama at a white neighborhood. I am a Caucasian, but some of my neighbors ignored me for years (not even sayin a hello!), because I was from a different land; Istanbul, Turkey. The things are better now, because they know me, especially, I helped to my neighbors a lot in different ways one by one individually during their hardships. Unfortunately, one Mexican family who were the first and only Mexican family then in my neighborhood couldn’t survive. They moved next to my house in 2000 and stayed only one year, because some of the neighbors were dumping their trash in night times at their yard purposefully! We have another Mexican family now on my street since 2016 and it is so very nice to see that their children are playing with neighbor’s children and nobody is dumping trash at their yard! Change happens in the South also, but we have to put a good hard work in our communities as a whole community together. The ignorance is the mother of prejudice and the knowledge is the best medicine for it! I loved the article about Newnan very much! It inspired me with many ideas for my community.
18
Greeks weren't considered white in the old days, so I don't consider myself white, either.
1
"...although still small, grew more than fivefold between 2000 and 2017. In that same period, the black population dropped from about 42 percent of the population to 28 percent."
As new-Newnan examines the fallout from this art display, they may want to take a look at why there was such a huge drop in the black population there. Northerners like to pretend that only the Southerners carry destructive racial baggage, but as a lifelong Northeasterner, that has not been my experience.
1
The same thing is happening in Montclair, which prides itself on its "diversity."
1
There is a saying that God made the world, people made the cities, and the devil made small towns.
9
@Eli
Really? To many it many it may seem that the cities are not too much...
1
Really. Most people live in cities...
@Tony Lewis
Who cares? Good for the ones whose to... But it’s interesting that so many are now migrating to less populous areas....
1
Not sure if this is strictly a political issue, as such.
The art itself -- by virtue of its massive size -- is overbearing.
4
@Alex Cody
Do photographic portraits constitute art?
2
Yes.
4
@Raz
Not always... In fact, rarely...
1
Newnan is where we stop for gas, driving north through Atlanta. Leaders in a red Southern City who carry hope for a reconciliation of not only blacks and whites, but all who call that city home, need to be supported. The next trip, we will have lunch (or dinner) in Newnan. Hopefully, we can make time to stop there longer to see these installations. What a seditious way to break the insular view of who we are!
Newnan is no longer just a gas stop.
14
Reads to me like only 1 portrait, a portrait of children, rattled a small southern town.
9
I highly recommend the film : Faces, Places which pairs the filmmaker Agnès Varda and the photographer J.R. who travel through France and install very large photos of worthy citizens
on walls. I don't know if this project has anything to do with it but both are superb and worthwhile.
9
When change comes to fast and in this case in-your-face there will be pushback. It just is.
2
Yes, we need more time for adults to learn to accept others on the basis of the content of their character.
11
Great piece and I hope that the artist’s idea spreads.
“Newnan was a hospital town that treated soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. The town found its prosperity, in part, in the cotton industry, and at one point, Newnan was one of the wealthiest towns per capita in the United States.”
Uh huh, and guess which group of kidnapped and enslaved people likely picked the cotton; unwillingly providing free labor that formed the basis for Newnan’s wealth?
10
@Oceanviewer Right. Only don’t forget about those who purchased the cotton.
1
I live in one of the most 'progressive cities' in America. Unlike Reverend Patterson here many (not all) don't do the deeper work of inner reconciliation. This work of photographic art deeply led to his personal 'human revolution.' Here in SF, this feature article and Michelle Alexander's in the Sunday Review are important and shed relevant light on the fact that so many of us just don't do 'The Work' that Rev. Patterson has.
Many here in SF believe in their zip code as the blue cloak of liberalism, that so many are fooled by, and so many who bought into the myth of their well-meaning liberalism and progressivism.
I've lived in the South-I think Rev. Patterson said it best here and took the best actions to challenge his weak understanding of his past with a difficult task. He viewed his ancestors in Newnan and the stain of slavery upon his lineage and owned this. He leaned into it. Even with if we have proximity to slavery we are Americans and that is proximity enough.
I descend from rape. My great-great-grandfather raped my great-great-grandmother. In 1847 my great grandfather was born. How do I reconcile that fact? I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for rape; an act committed in order to produce progeny (chattel) to sell? Reverend Patterson showed us one way we can 'pay' for our great, American cultural taxation. Ms. Meehan's work provoked Newnan to grapple with reconciling being a citizen. Let's do 'the work.' Rev. Patterson showed us beautifully. Let's lean in y'all!
5
What an eye-opener: 17 photographs of members of the Newnan community. And yet, according to the article at least, the huge fuss is over ONE photograph that shows 2 American members of that community who are Muslim women. The ugly Islamophobic response - what else could one call the assertion that Sharia law is going to take over the town - speaks volumes about this town's so-called "welcome."
18
@Cantor Penny Kessler Actually it speaks volumes about a few loud people who like to create a fuss. You have them in every town. I’ve lived in many, including Newnan. Ask Ms. Meehan if you don’t believe Newnan was welcoming. I’m sure she would be glad to tell you about it. I’m so grateful for what she has done for my hometown, and for people like her who give others space to grow.
3
I LIKE IT. It's Beautiful.
Now, do you wonder why the 1st Amendment is the 1st Amendment? Despots are afraid or writers poets musicians and artists.
Just take a look at history current and otherwise.
RT
16
"The post drew nearly 1,000 responses, most of them defending the sisters and accusing Mr. Shelnutt and others of being out-of-touch racists..."
Out-of-touch isn't an adjective - it's the entire problem. Only psychotics can live in a world that no longer exists. Anyone who marches around with a swastika flag, is badly in need of treatment; and certainly, should not be allowed to own any firearms. The art exhibit was a good idea, but it isn't going to repair any of the hard-core cases.
3
Your out of touch people elected the current President and will re-elect him in November. Why did anyone even think this was a good idea. Anytime you raise some people over others you are going to get kick back. Do gooders need to mine their own business. My towns idea of public art was to put bird murals on telephone boxes, no one has complained.
*mind
@Richard - I don’t think I’d let it get around in Palm City that I was reading the Times, Richard.
Might be unhealthy.
1
Charming story. I don't know why some people think that Muslim immigrants are a threat to the American way of life, which is much different in Newnan than in New York.
There are some Muslim fanatics on the loose in your country, but there are also some Christian ones (or who call themselves Christians).
The Neo-Nazi rally drew a dozen people; I note once more how small their rallies are.
5
The most interesting part of this article for me wasn't the racist Facebook post and the reaction to it (which was heartening to see since it was mostly against the racist post), but rather the Rev. Jimmy Patterson coming to terms with his family's slaveholding past and his work to overcome his prejudices. That was very moving
22
I have heard many people put down art as a serious pursuit, or subject of study (usually when discussing funding art education or studying art in college.). I think this is a great example of the usefulness of art, and how it can make us think about the world around us. (Not that I believe art needs to be useful to have value, as long as it makes us think.)
15
I hope that these photos will be the first step in community discussions about not just the content of the images, but also what they say about such a changing community. Perhaps that can leader to additional dialogue across racial, cultural and religious lines.
There are a lot of Newnan Georgia's in the U.S. -- small towns that have been swallowed up by encroaching urban disbursement. This trend is sure to create uncertainty and no little bit of anxiety among long-time residents. We ought to be careful that the arrival of newcomers is not a tsunami, uprooting and destroying everything in its path. More like Spring rain, which refreshes everyone.
4
Gentrification has, sadly, made our once diverse community much more homogenous.
A woman sporting a MAGA hat -- on the street, not necessarily at a Trump rally. A woman sporting hijab -- in this country, where she is free to do otherwise.
I do not hate or fear either woman, but my immediate response is not positive.
Symbols are powerful things.
4
So from what I understand, in a nutshell, Muslim women choose to wear a hijab, in places where they aren’t required to, as a modesty issue, similar to very conservative Jewish women wearing wigs or nuns wear a habit. It’s a free country so they choose to do it for their own religious beliefs.
There is the debate of course whether they really have the choice or if they’ve been forced to wear it but I do think they choose to regardless of their “freedom” in the US.
So I think it’s important to respect it even if you wouldn’t do it yourself and try to feel as neutral about it as possible if what stirs in you is something negative, which is what I sense here.
6
@Marty You can thank the man n the Oval Office for the hate and bigotry running rampant in this country. And also thank another republican by the name of Bush after 911 for his not in as many words, labeling every person of middle-eastern a terrorist, And yes, I can talk about 911, I lived through it. I was a block away that day with my husband; we barely made it out alive; lost friends, and still don’t feel the hatred that so many Americans in this country feel. It’s called ignorance, and sadly it’s getting worse not better in towns across this country
6
This is such a moving, distressing and ultimately inspiring project. And once again brings to mind to me how proud I am to be an artist and to be engaged in these tiny shifts in evolution. We constantly have heard the same old tired refrain about choosing to be an artist, and how unrealistic it is, won’t make you much money, and all the rest of the “pragmatic” arguments. And yet, here we see a compelling reason to be an artist, to have arts education, and personal arts experience, to truly cultivate that which is timeless and enduring. The humanities are part of what makes us humane. Please remember that the next time you try to dissuade someone from pursuing the inner spark of creativity that may just set the world on fire, or at least just give it a little more light.
6
I guess I’d be a little rattled if Chairman Mao-sized portraits started appearing all over my town too.
5
Really? Large pictures of members of your community would rattle you?
8
@John, heck, the size of the McMansions they’re throwing up around me has already done that a long time ago. I sure don’t want to see their oversized faces on them too.
If you’re afraid of a mural, don’t visit Mount Rushmore.
3
It's an ancient thought but wise I think. We only see in others and in art what resides on some level in ourselves.
I've always found it worth pondering. Then if I can see the flaw in myself, I try to change. Not always successfully, but I keep trying.
Art can be beautiful, but also sometimes inspire us to see what we don't want to, but perhaps need to.
I'm grateful for many of the artists out there. Thank you.
1
"No loss by flood and lightning, no destruction of cities and temples by hostile forces of nature, has deprived man of so many noble lives and impulses as those which his intolerance has destroyed."- Helen Keller
14
In Trump’s America, practicing any faith other than Christianity is seen as controversial.
10
Thanks to The NY Times for scouring the country for every instance of racism or possible racism. What would we do without these decisive and meaningless articles? What is the point of the 1619 project?
2
The point is to open up your eyes, your mind, your heart. The point is that in America we ALL are and should be equal. The point is that WE as Americans be we black, white, yellow, or brown need to realize that it is time for a positive change, a desperately needed change since we ALL put our pants on one leg at a time.
20
@Chris
Parroting Breitbart, Fox "News", American Renaissance, Daily Stormer sentiments?
8
We are all equal and are almost always treated the same. Most Americans (and many more than in the past) treat each other with respect every day. We are not living in some dystopian racist nightmare which I feel the Times tend to portray things.
3
Art projects like this belong in every small town and big city across America. We might just save our republic and live up to the U in U.S.A.
11
@Dabney L
Really? Let me give you something to consider. The fly over folks, as you call them, don’t want to impose their values on you... They may not like them, but if you do, if those values are yours, that’s fine... But why do you, on the other hand, absolutely insist that your values *must* be adopted without reservation by them, and govern their lives? Many folks think that New York values are fine for New York, and accept that fact...But prefer not to live that way, prefer their own set of values... No racism, something we all abhor... Just a different set of values... Live and let live without trying to dictate... How difficult is that?
2
@Marcus Aurelius
Making nonsense up about people you don't know hardly qualifies as "live and let live."
1
I think when it comes to amplifying, displaying and squarely addressing racism, conversations simply don't cut it. The only folks who are listening are those who deem racism a problem. Racism needs to be addressed in Hollywood, retail, employment and education. Everyone living in this country can get an ample education of what a diverse life should be like by seeing it, experiencing it and learning about it, not by talking about it. The only way the talking works is if both parties believe there's a problem in need of address - they don't.
2
Everyone doesn't have to accept multiculturalism, sorry not sorry.
@Ed
U.S. residents/ citizens "don't have to accept" traitorous Confederate sympathizing , Wallace/trump worshipping retrogrades, not sorry.
34
You don’t have to accept or believe anything. But this country was founded with the ideal that all men are created equal. We haven’t realized that ideal, but that’s what Jefferson wrote (he didn’t meet that ideal either, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy aspiration)
24
@Ed you might want to try giving it a shot! Might just do your heart some good!
7
Seems like a lot of suffering could be avoided in the absence of religion.
2
We'd just find something else to divide us. Sadly, humans are tribal.
1
@Kat Perkins
Seems like a lot of suffering could be avoided if more people could come to terms that some people are different and learn to respect that and as long as they are legal U.S. residents, they have as much to be here as anybody else.
2
And also recognize that a lot of the people we call "illegal" are indigenous to this continent and belong here more than we do.
1
A beautiful example of how art can be a catalyst for difficult conversations. But have they learned? We will know by their election results. If they bite the same, nothing has been learned yet.
1
The portraits are not what roiled the town. What roiled Newman was the bigoted attitudes and reactions to those portraits.
And to the man who said that Islam is a "threat to the American way of life" and that "there should be no positive portrayals of it, I would point out that Islam was not portrayed in the portraits of the two women wearing hijabs, any more or less than Christianity is portrayed by a photograph of an individual Christian.
This town should be ashamed of itself!
18
@Mark Kessinger - no, the town should not be ashamed. The pictures stayed up. Discussions started. People who live there became more aware of the changing place they live in.
Beyond the diversity of people's ancestry or origin as shown in this project, we really do need a similar project to educate people about other things, too.
Perhaps an art installation showing the typical decisions made in spending during one month, showing people as diverse as an ultra-wealthy 0.01% down through the merely 1% into the lower and lower parts of the income scale.
It would hopefully open some people's eyes if they could contrast their fairly straightforward attitude to money compared to the financially stressful life of, say, a disabled coal miner, a small-scale farmer after several years of incredibly bad weather, and an urban low-income earner who might be working two or three jobs and still is below the poverty line.
Too many of the decision makers in government don't realize, or don't care too much about, the fact that so many have to decide between food or the electric bill, or figure whether the car needed for work gets repaired, or the sick child gets the necessary medical attention.
2
@Mark Kessinger I grew up in Newnan and return often to visit my family and to curate a yearly chamber music concert that receives phenomenal support from this town year to year, as has Ms. Meehan’s wonderful work. Your last sentence is sadly misguided and indicates that you either didn’t read the article or only heard what you wanted to hear. I went to high school with Mr. Shelnutt. Several friends talked today about how frustrating it is to have his voice speaking for the town we love. But isn’t it always the loud ones that get the attention? He represents a very small minority. I happen to believe they deserve to be heard too - how else can we expect to reason with them? But please don’t leap to the conclusion that he is typical of Newnan (not Newman), or that this kind of bigotry exists only in the south. I appreciate this article but regret that Ms. Burch neglected to mention the Neo-Nazis came from Michigan.
4
@b fagan I absolutely love your idea and would actually like to research what has already been done on this. Thank you.
1
Diversity is also about accepting people who don't value diversity.
The red line for civil society must be violence. Tolerance for everyone and for all viewpoints, but no tolerance for violence.
3
Sorry, this doesn't make sense to me. We are free to exercise our rights to freedom of speech, like making a racist Facebook post. But we need to accept the consequences of exercising those rights. If someone is blatantly racist, we don't have to tolerate or accept them
4
it's no one's responsibility to support a position that undermines their own especially when that position is not morally supportable. what you are proposing is a paradox.
What a terrible place this must be to live.
3
San Francisco, which prides itself on being "progressive," is much more terrible, since so many people are homeless. At least the people of Newnan haven't been forced out of their homes and onto the streets.
1
Loved reading this article. Like others, I agree that stories like this is why I read the NYT. As a photographer I am always challenging novices to think about how their photography can be used to enhance dialogue and understanding. My congratulations to the town leaders of Newnan for putting up this installation.
10
Relatively tranquil community response compared to most likely violent blowback ( exhibiting same portraits) escalating amongst homogeneous Japan, South Korea.
1
No. What violent blowback has there been in either place. Name one instance.
1
What a perfect Dickensian name for the small-minded, mean-spirited individual who voiced such ignorance toward the Shah sisters, "Mr. Shelnutt'. So many ways to play on that moniker, but I will simply say that his comments are revealing, utterly un-American and ignorant--and entirely representative of the people creating division in our country. To any republicans reading in, that is your bedfellow. What does that say about your party?
18
Islam is an extremely conservative religion much of its views run contrary to western liberal democracies, particularly when it comes to the treatment of women. We should view the hijab with this in mind. If Islamic people want to embrace the openness of western liberal democracies then they need to begin to demonstrate that they treat women as we in this culture now demand, not as second-class citizens as our own history has so frequently treated women.
4
@J Smull
Same sentiments regarding Calvinist, Southern Baptist, traditional Roman Catholic backward offensive dogma regarding women?
20
Yes absolutely!
3
what about treating women the way those individual women want to be treated? are you saying that no woman could choose to be Islamic? seems like an easy way to tell women how to act in itself.
6
So.... turns out it was just one portrait, the one of the sisters in hijab, that upset a few townies on....Facebook?!? Is that actually what I'm reading here?
And that, online, the post "drew nearly 1,000 responses, most of them defending the sisters and accusing Mr. Shelnutt and others of being out-of-touch racists..."
So, in fact, it looks like the town is a rather accepting place that's doing a fairly decent job of dealing with its changing demographics?
So then why is the story framed differently? To make northern liberals feel superior? I'd be upset with the NYT if I were from Newman.
4
@sbrian2 :"So then why is the story framed differently? To make northern liberals feel superior?"
Yes.
Now if the forward thinking folks in NYC would do something about their racially segregated public school system they might have a legitimate reason to feel superior. But, as they say, don't hold your breath.
3
Nyc schools are much less segregated than most schools. Because almost all public schools are community based ie by neighbor hood boundaries and on geography the racial, cultural and class diversities are reflected by the populations residing near most schools. This is why busing is the most perhaps only way to prevent segregated schools.
1
@sbrian2 I hope your including your state of Ca in when you refer to those “northern liberals”
What an amazing look at America today, capturing both its faults and its virtues. Thank you, Ms. Burch for this moving article, and thank you, Ms. Meehan for these wonderful photos.
6
What a fascinating social experiment, and an educational opportunity for other communities in this land to learn from. To be sure, diversity should absolutely be reflected in projects like this (and in general), and I suspect most people's objection to the portraits comes from a xenophobic or racist place.
But isn't racist or conservative to be critical of traditions that reinforce sexism. In fact, defending head coverings seems inherently conservative. It is strange to me that ideologically liberal people are convincing themselves otherwise.
Let's not forget that elsewhere in the world there are women being arrested and murdered for refusing to wear the hijab. This isn't to trivialize a human's decision and right to wear whatever they want-- I'll defend that to the death. But in the realm of ideologies, let's remember that that particular tradition comes from the misogynistic, patriarchal legacy of Abrahamic religions. To 'celebrate' as feminist or multicultural the tradition of expecting/forcing women to cover themselves is a disservice to the project of promoting equality, and doesn't reflect liberal democratic values. I understand that many Muslim women don't view it this way because it is rooted in complex worldview, just as many orthodox Christian women do/did until viewed in a larger framework of societal norms.
4
Having recently traveled through Morocco I was in awe of the tolerance within the Moroccan culture. Women wore habibs or didn’t, all women were dressed how they wanted to be in shorts, others in pants, it was a variety of fashion. Without a doubt some of their fashion has to do with religious beliefs — but all in all I experienced tolerance. As a Jew I learned that the King of Morocco saved us from the Nazis. I was treated as a sister. It felt good. Moroccans accepted churches, synagogues and mosques and they live in harmony. Why can’t we?
7
@Lauren G
It sounds like the culture you experienced in Morocco is able to balance evolving values with ancient traditions. Makes me want to visit! I'm also Jewish (and my real name happens to be Loren) and learning about the sheer number of varying traditions throughout the diaspora is fascinating. For thousands of years it seems they've had to balance their commitment to tradition while engaging with the values (or pressures) of the state they found themselves in.
2
@Boaz - I found it interesting when our own First Lady and Ivanka went to Saudi Arabia they did not cover their hair. Yet on the return home, they visited the pope and both covered themselves head to toe in black including veils even though Ivanka is Jewish. They had more freedom in Saudi Arabia.
Iused to work in Newnan and cannot say anything in the story surprises me racism and xenophobia are3 inches beneath the surface everywhere you go in Georgia,if it isMore than 10 miles from the center of AtlantaThe economic development officials will tell you that is not true but they have concocted quite a story for the people who are contemplating moving to the area
8
This is a microcosm of the condition everywhere. Congratulations to Newnan's leaders in putting the light on some uncomfortable but sacred needs of living in community. i.e. recognize we are both one, and many, and honor the diversity.
3
As someone who grew up in a time when many Christian women would not wear pants or enter a church without covering their head, I don’t understand why the hijab is seen as foreign or threatening. How is it that our recent history no longer informs our ability to relate to women who choose to cover their heads as an extension of their beliefs?
12
But that tradition in Christianity was also rooted in sexist ideas about feminine purity and modesty. And the same people who would have criticized the idea in Christianity will now defend it in the case of Islam.
3
@JAuerman - When I was a kid in the 60's, no respectable woman left the house without covering her head and she did not wear pants. My mother, a former Marine, wore blue jeans and never owned a scarf or a hat. And people talked about her like she was the town prostitute. But that was back when the Rolling Stones and the Beatles still wore suits and ties on stage.
1
NYT encouraging racial divisiveness and hatred. Again.
Think about something else. Like people's intrinsic qualities, not their skins.
3
@Jonathan Katz
I guess for some people it's O.K. to be racist, divisive and hateful, as long as it's not publicized in the media.
Thanks for sharing.
4
This is real photo journalism. It's why I subscribe to the NY Times. Hats off to Audra Burch.
7
I tried to stay positive, but I do have a news flash for Mr. Shelnutt: Rightwing evangelical xenophobia is threatening to the American way of life. He may wish to take a cue from, or at least engage in a conversation with, Mr. Patterson.
58
What I don't understand when people claim they are neo-Nazis or hold a rally. Is it not tantamount to either 1. Treason? 2. Rejecting your country? 3. Believe it's okay to commit murder/genocide? America went to war with Hitler's Germany. Hitler's soldiers killed American soldiers. Hitler was against freedom and not only killed Jews but also Catholics, Presbyterians, Orthodox, Muslims, Buddhists and others, believers and non-believers alike, people of all races died under Hitler's Germany. Why then do neo-Nazis exist in Countries like America? Those citizens who support them should be locked up. It's as if you are against your own country. It's not okay to be a neo-Nazi. It's not okay to march, and those people who do should be exposed totally. It should be outlawed.
11
@Wren Agree, but white inferiorists aka neo-Nazis don't understand logic and know nothing about world history. They are the antithesis of patriots, not unlike...well, I'd rather not type his name.
2
@Wren
" It's not okay to march, and those people who do should be exposed totally. It should be outlawed."
I don't agree with Neo-Nazism but the fact is we live in country where people are free to express themselves and protest in a peaceful manner. If we change that then we changed a fundamental part of what makes America the country it is.
It is far more effective to mount counter-protest and create a social, economic and political climate that makes it clear that Neo-Nazism is not acceptable in America.
@Carl I agree, thanks. There is not enough space to write what needs to be written. While freedom of speech is fundamental to democracy. At what cost? I don't have the answers nor the knowledge to adequately effectively answer your comment. And most importantly, those who espouse violence and because of freedom of speech, we know who the crazies are.
Kudos to Rev. Patterson. As he expressed, it’s taken us far, far too long to realize our hidden prejudices.
I am grateful for the conversation. I always believed I was above it. I grew up in Jersey City and have lived in several states and even another country. I’ve enjoyed a diverse group of friends nearly everywhere I’ve lived and have encountered, mostly through my friends, what I believed was an understanding of the kind of racism they face. It didn’t even scratch the surface. It wasn’t until the Black Lives Matter movement that I began to get it, that I began to realize the biases I absorbed from the privileged way I moved about the world. This presidency The realizations keep coming.
I’m not exactly certain what I should be doing about it because I’m still processing. I feel wholly inadequate and deeply sorrowful. Mr. Hancock, Ms. Meehan and Rev. Patterson all have seem to have the right idea. We need to have the conversation. Again and again. And again.
It’s taken us far too long.
8
Our diversity is our strength.
Beautiful portraits.
6
Whenever I think of culture, change, and igonrance I often think of a couple of lines from Genesis's Duke's Travel/Duke's End which as a song is more beautiful musically than lyrically. The lyrics are in no way abstract:
And you kill what you fear,
and you fear what you don't understand.
Art can engage peoples' ignorance in unique and powerful ways that perhaps are more effective than traditional dialogues. Well, Newnan, change isn't comfortable so get used to it.
7
This was deeply moving: "One by one, he began to read the names in the will, humans considered property, lumped in the same category as cattle and furniture. Some people in the church gasped. Some began to cry as Mr. Patterson talked about the sin of racism, passed down almost like an heirloom, and all the years it had taken him to unlearn his own prejudices. And then he asked for forgiveness."
Mr. Patterson has my respect and admiration for what he has done.
25
I found a similar will in my ancestry- I have total admiration for Mr. Patterson and thank him for his leadership!! pls share your integrity with other church leaders!! they can be our biggest hope!
4
The only piece of art that can be fully appreciated in Newnan is what W. T. Sherman brought to Georgia, especially to Atlanta.
1
How depressing - the ignorance which has been shown toward this fabulous project. The cruelty - hate-speech from those who are afraid of "the other." We are still the family of man, and the "united" states. I pray the result of the upcoming election is someone who can heal our nation; a president who says he "loves" the un/under-educated; when countless millions are studying, taking on obscene debt to be our new scientists, educators. . .the rancor about the 2d amendment - I wonder how many of the panic-stricken have even read the 2d amendment.
Enough - God Bless America.
5
There is an irresistible cold satisfaction to be taken from this. The time was when the people of towns all too much like this gathered to be photographed around a lynching victim, as a statement of their shamelessness against law and frightened unanimity against change. Now Newnan and countless towns like it shake off their trance and see that good has prevailed, that the future will be better than the past, and that righteousness as a mighty stream flows on.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/lens/echoes-of-lynchings-in-quiet-photos.html
6
Thank you for this story
It has rejuvenated my faith in humanity
Kindness over fear and smallness
8
"Mr. Patterson talked about the sin of racism, passed down almost like an heirloom, and all the years it had taken him to unlearn his own prejudices."
This is so true. As a southerner born in Alabama it is wearisome how much work is required to break free from the bonds of ones prejudices taught since childbirth. And when one believes the inner work is over, some new glaring shortcoming arises. It is a life-long work, never ceasing. But that is nothing to complain about compared to those who are on the receiving end of systemic class rule.
Good for Newnan for helping us to bring this problem home for discussion.
18
It seems like a kind of tragedy to me that one resident of this community thinks just seeing a photo of a couple of his fellow community members in hijabs adds up to, in his words, 'having Islam pushed on the community'. I wish he might have been able to see that the photo of his neighbors in hijabs was an invitation to accept those different than himself. There is no forcing here but it is sadly revealing to read that Skallnett (sp?) saw the photo and interpreted it to be forcing an agenda. Art is an invitation.
5
From 12,000 in 1986 to 40,000 today is a heck of a growth spurt. I suspect some of the long time residents are resentful of the growth from what was a large town to a small city; complete with traffic congestion, parking, and other infrastructure problems.
"One woman said there were not enough Muslims in Newnan for the Shahs to be included in the art installation in the first place." This was not a popularity contest nor a proportional representation exercise from what I read. US cultural diversity is increasing, perhaps similar to the way it did during the great migration in the latter 1800's. Perhaps Newnan was spared the initial impact back then, but not now. We're all the same on the inside. What's the big deal about .03% of DNA? Open your hearts instead of closing minds.
8
"...between 2000 and 2017. In that same period, the black population dropped from about 42 percent of the population to 28 percent." What's that about? Gentrification...
3
@Lauri Robertson
Sometimes it pays to do a little research before reaching a conclusion about an issue.
According to U.S Census data for the year 2000 the black population in Newnan was 6,846.
According the the U.S. Census Community Survey for 2017 the black population was 10,608.
In other words, the black population increased by 54.95% during the time period between 2000 and 2017. The percentage decrease of black people as an overall percentage of Newnan's population is due to a smaller percentage of the population growth in the past 17 years is from black people.
If there where fewer black people in the town than before that might be attributable to gentrification. That does not appear to be the case here.
Remember, there is a difference between an opinion and an informed opinion.
1
The headline is misleading, since it seems only one of the 17 portraits rattled this town : the one featuring Muslim women.
5
@Virginia - And the portraits didn't rattle the town but one man on Facebook.
Land of the free and home of the brave, eh?
Nope, still the same ignorant, uneducated, racist backwater you were two hundred years ago.
Perhaps from this perspective Trump has actually been good for America? He's forced you to take a look in the mirror and see what you really are, not what you like to imagine yourselves to be.
20
With respect, your country isn't perfect either; nobody's is...
2
@Flossy - Exposing the racism wasn't hard, so don't give too much credit to our current occupant in the White House. Anyone just needed to watch Murdoch's Fox channel prior to that, and note the slant of coverage there on everything from Obama to Ferguson to refugees and US citizens who dare to be Muslim or Jewish.
But modern Australia has its own original sin in treatment of Aboriginal residents who'd been there 65,000 years ahead of the Europeans, and its own continuing problems to face up to.
So mirrors for you, too:
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/about/news/speeches/race-relations-contemporary-australia
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-27/australias-race-relations-will-be-examined-by-un-in-geneva/9198272
We all have work to do.
5
If anything should typify urban beautification and its attendant reactions in 21st century America, it's this courageous concept.
If every community in this country followed the same path, we would finally be on the true journey to understanding, accepting and celebrating each other as The United States of America instead of The Divided States. Gotta start somewhere!
7
As I look to move closer to my family in the south, Newnan reminds me of many old southern towns I have visited. The influx of non-natives, like me, bring changing attitudes and diversity.
I love the Newnan portraits and look forward to visiting the town.
7
Stories like this don't make me optimistic about America's future. Like it or not whites will be a minority in this country in about 20 years. You can prepare for the future or you can fight it. The issue is, the country will have to adjust to this reality. I find a lot of people are not interested in making the change. They are also not interested in leaders who try to lead the US to make the change - but it's coming anyway. I see a future fraught with tension and explosions of rage. Reminds me of the title of a Michelle Goldberg article "Toxic nostalgia breeds derangement."
4
There is nothing more threatening to the enemy nation states that a united, socially stable America. United, we are far more impactful and powerful Divided as we are now, the world's developing countries see the US as the case study of a country that is turning its back on democracy because of racism. That is quite a turn in the past 5 years. The social disruption is now rolled out anywhere those nation states are seeking inroads, by stoking divisions and cultivating their internal allies to influence the political process. With this successful playbook and the bnw opportunity offered by online and social media platforms, they can turn any country into Yougoslavia in the 1980's.
3
Another diversity art effort that does just what was intended; Inflame the bigots that remain far too numerous and now emboldened since DJT captured the presidency and gave these imbeciles the ‘carte blanche’ to be openly hateful.
I’m white, middle aged male
Born and raised in CT
Split my time between SoCal and the Midwest/ east coast for work
I should feel my country is where just about anyone can live anywhere, given the means and as they so choose.
Sadly, because my profession, education and northeastern background, the assumption made that I should, by right... be all in on ‘my groups’ collective grievance just sets-off all kinds of retribution when I express my real views of being open to changing demographics and culture.
The hostility of it pretty much makes me feel wholly unwelcome in deaths of the country where, were I parroting the tribal urge... I’d be welcome with open arms.
It ruins my natural affection for cute, small, charming towns that are diversifying organically.... regardless and now, I hope, in spite of the raging hostility and bigotry that these efforts unearths.
8
Good article,
But I have one about the portrait of the twin Muslim girls -
It was the ARTIST who wanted to be provocative.
The picture of the girls at a lake was actually charming whereas the one selected for the ‘installation’ was unsmiling and intense.
All the other pictures of residents were warm and kind.
8
That was my thought exactly. Putting them in a much less formal setting would have been less “threatening” while really humanizing them. There was definitely some intention there. The town residents should have all been able to deal with that, but there could have easily been a better way of simultaneously conveying their American-ness while showing them as Muslims.
3
@Andrew - you guys are so right...don’t women know they should always be smiling and appealing?
5
Hmm, stereotypes of fear and hate in rural America. I’m shocked.
8
@VIKTOR Aside from the headline, the story seemed to be mostly about how the project got positive responses.
5
@John Bergstrom Apparently you read a different story. Did you read about the guy who mischaracterized a photo of two community members in hijabs to mean Islam was being forced on his community (he never alluded to any language that reflects a shared sense of community, EH? -- he was plenty negative)
2
You can learn an awful lot about a person by the filter through which they view things.
2
Is this enough now, reader? Do you understand these white bigots now, or do you still need more examples? Do you see that they don't even want to SEE anyone that is not themselves? They need to be shut out of public life, shut out by their own children, shut out by employers. Shut out! There is no saving them from their own evil beliefs.
9
@sedanchair THere is no need to shut anyone out. However, the country does have to come to terms with the history - that it was born out of a violent invasion, and prospered through a violent and oppressive system of slavery, followed by episodes of further oppression and terror during reconstruction and beyond. Many take refuge in a fantasy that life can go on with everyone pretending that these cycles never happened or that they don't impact who we are and what we do today. No such luck.
6
@Jackson - well, I see what those Left Coaster elites have done to the northern part of your state...they’ve made it into by far the wealthiest and most culturally rich part of Virginia, though not without encountering plenty of opposition from the natives.
6
I love living in a diverse city. I love hearing different languages and music, eating different foods, making new friends
The idea that billboards are going to reduce racism through exposure to other cultures seems to me almost like the idea that I might be cured of an illness by being shown a picture of medication. I grew up in a more diverse city than where I currently live, and the positive bonds I formed with people who didn’t come from my background are what keep me I think “immune” to all the appeals to outrage in the media over (depending if you’re left or right) the existence of racism or the influx of illegal immigrants. Having real human experiences with lots of different types of people seems like the only cure for attitudes of hatred. I don’t see pictures really doing the job. If anything I see it as being potentially a turn off for Trump voters who already feel put upon. The real answers here are individually interpersonal. They have no campaigns or newspaper articles written about them. It’s just about people living and being together...
4
@David - yeah, I can see where the Trump voters might feel put upon by the very existence of these posters that they can freely choose to either view or not view.
Think of the children!
1
In today's NYT, there is an article showing contemporary artists work who live, create and exhibit in present day Afghanistan.
Compare this situation in Newnan, described by Audra D.S. Burch, to the dangers artists are exposed to in that society, and the ignorance and cultural bias their art confronts.
Much contemporary art is not supported, understood, or appreciated in many areas of the United States. Imagine Pakistan, Afghanistan and many other Countries.
In spite of all this, "Ars longa, vita brevis"!
1
So many comments here about how change is difficult...really? A portrait of these two young girls went up - just a portrait of them - and this Shelnutt person couldn’t handle it?
Hope he’s gotten himself onto some anti-anxiety medication.
16
I'm far away, but these portraits look wonderful, beautiful, positive, warm, American.
37
Did I miss a mention of the original inspiration behind this and other projects like it, the Inside/Out Project by French photographer JR? He's made such a difference in the world, to mine anyway.
3
The reactions to the sisters wearing hijabs shows how far most Americans have distanced themselves from the knowledge of even recent History.
I was taught by Nuns of the Dominican Order throughout Grammar School, age 6 to 14. they dressed in "Habits", which covered their hair, encircling their faces. The robes descended to the tops of their shoes. They were more radical than hijabs.
Peasant women in Middle and Eastern European Countries covered their heads with scarves tied under their chins into the early 20th Century. Known as Babushkas, this was common in Poland and Russia.
The full covering of women, a burqa and Jilbab, are more disturbing in our Western Cultures and for good reason. Only the eyes show in the former, and the latter is similar to a veil.
The U.S. and Europe do not like people to be totally covered . for the same reason we don't want people to wear masks.
Very hard to accept in close quarters, such as the NYC subway car...but, that's another issue.
This is a hijab, and some citizens of Newnan just don't want to live with people of the Islamic faith.
8
@James Barth I have been riding the NYC subway for decades, occasionally sharing a car or seat with women in head coverings going about their day. They should be able to live and breathe and be themselves in a cosmopolitan large city and a free society- which we proclaim to be....
2
One of my students did an study observing reactions to women wearing the hijab on the subway. Surprisingly (or maybe not) most reactions were positive.
1
@James Barth
Yeah, sadly, I get it. Just like some Anglo- Americans did not want to “live” with the African Americans, Latinos, Irish, Italians, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, and Jews, etc. “Those people” were forced to live cultural and racial ghettos. Ironically, some of the most adamant in hating Muslims today are the direct descendants of those very groups who were once deeply hated and discriminated against. Of course, some of these groups like African Americans, Latinos and Jews are still targeted and hated today.
Sounds to me like only one of the 17 portraits "rattled" a community - and it seems like it was a mental cage that needed rattling and freeing from.
20
I agree with "live and let live", but, I'm not sure that should apply to those who want to kill me. We had to defeat the Nazi's in Germany in the 1940's, because if we didn't they certainly would have defeated us.
This idea that we should placate virulent white supremacists by giving them rights that they would deny others, if given half a chance, is the highest form of social irresponsibility.
Intolerance should never be tolerated - period. And those who "demand" other peoples tolerance of their intolerant views do not deserve the rights or protection of the law, because to do so, is itself a tacit violation of those laws.
Allowing people the right to march, so that they can, "Put an end to the right to march!", for others, is not only not a good idea, it's a tacit invitation for them to put an end to people's rights altogether.
11
@Chicago Guy
Problem is “who” decides? In the not so distant past, African Americans were routinely attacked as lawbreakers for peacefully marching to end legalized racist discrimination. Police and elected officials in Alabama were more than happy to turn fire hoses on children, to release vicious dogs, to beat adults and to trample them with horses. So the problem is, “who” gets to decide?
2
The photographs are too large. As the headline says of the scale: Outsize. This is the non-human scale of financial (i.e. advertising), religious, and political idolatry.
3
Pretty much the south in a nutshell. I live a few miles away. Fortunately, it’s changing, but the core group of traditional southerners are not. They may say one thing, but vote another. The change has come from the outside, not from within. There is a new segregation now, it’s traditional white Southerners and everybody else. The two groups cross paths, but rarely socialize together. It’s all very polite, as long as no substantial conversation occurs.
425
@GCJ Well said.
12
@GCJ
It’s ok...we people of color are slowly gaining political traction, by way of votes and consumer spending, in all parts of the States. Before you know it, we brown and black people will be the majority, leading to visible changes from the street to the Senate.
72
@GCJ Very true. I realized I didn't fit in with the genteel types early on in my time here. However, I have found my path. More impressive, my tween son has a circle of friends, all immigrants of different colors and religions (except for two!), and this will be what he remembers when he thinks of Georgia. Turn it purple!
60
I think this could turn into a teachable moment, and a positive direction, with a very simple action. Put together a community potluck meal, inviting participation from families or individuals, with family-favorite food contributions. Hold it at a community center, with the Shahs and other people pictured in the art exhibit meeting and talking to the rest of the gathering with some information about some of their family history, aspirations and experiences. Sometimes it's just as simple as getting past the fear and mistrust of the unknown.
7
I love this particular idea but the Western non-Muslim embrace of the hijab bothers me in some ways. I get the idea of trying to turn it into a symbol of empowerment, but I'm not sure we should trying to promote that idea for non-Muslims.
The hijab is a reflection of a misogynistic worldview that women need to cover themselves. That they are subservient and inferior to males, who have no such restrictions on modesty. That their purpose is to make babies.
This view has existed for thousands of years, and the hijab means exactly that to the vast majority of Muslim people.
Us coming in, as non-muslims, and trying to co-opt these symbols and modulate their meaning to reflect our morality and worldview creates an opportunity for resentment and backlash by the Muslim community.
Islam needs to be changed by Muslims like the Shahs. Change from within creates the opportunity for change in the places where Muslims believe that Western influence and past colonization are to be resisted at all costs.
We may create a world where Muslims in Western societies can use the hijab as a symbol of empowerment, but this will have a negative effect in the places where most Muslims live. It creates a perception in Muslim-majority nations that Western people are coming in a forcing change upon them. Change from within mitigates all these issues.
It will take longer and be harder, but allowing Muslims to change their own religion is the best path forward.
12
Yes, Muslims could take Trump and his Christian followers as a role model to free the world of misogyny!
9
@Jacqueline
Hijabs are no different from the habits worn by Catholic nuns long into the second half of the 20th century.
7
You’re right They are the same and they’re also sexist, the whole idea of nuns is sexist. That women can’t be priests,you don’t think that sexist? they are the same
An art installation that does not evoke emotions of positive and negative. Devoid of the appreciation of human warmth and fear is mere advertising. Newnan’s works are not advertising. And they should not be comfortable to all. Those sisters have courage. Something all Americans should value.
12
What a beautiful project and photographs. And...it wasn't like all the portraits were of 'non-white' residents (which was actually 'wise' of those who arranged for this project). I mean, the photos include some very 'traditional' looking white people, which is great. The range of portraits shows the true now-diversity of this town. Can't we all just get along? ;-)
6
So who's a snowflake? Lefties? Liberals?
Southern whites desperately trying to hold on to a past that was never "great"?
“I feel like Islam is a threat to the American way of life,” he said. “There should be no positive portrayals of it.” Mr. Shelnutt turned to Facebook, encouraging residents to complain. The thread quickly devolved into anti-Muslim attacks...and argued that believers of Islam were violent."
Unlike Christians, particularly Southern Christians who invented the KKK, a "Christian" group that burned wooden crosses to terrorize the black populace, and if that didn't work, lynched them. And when many were lynched, it was considered a family outing that the children would enjoy. Or how about all the Christian slave owners?
Oh, but Christianity isn't the problem, it's these people perverting it, right? An answer that doesn't apply to Muslims. Cognitive dissonance much?
80
My mother, a Northerner, resided in nearby Peachtree City for nearly 20 years; I visited the area often and know it well. Newnan was a favorite place to visit together for its arts scene.
Yet I always felt the region was increasingly populated by many white people fleeing metro Atlanta and its black majority and increasingly ethnically diverse population—because many said so quite directly. One didn’t need to ask; new neighbors typically volunteered this backstory of their relocation to PTC. Area roads were widened to four lanes from two to support the exodus.
If you look at the photographer’s website, you’ll see the full series of photo portraits with captions. One is of Suzanne, a white woman who founded a group to explore diversity. The caption notes she received death threats and no longer lives in Newnan.
As well intentioned and moving as this project is, the fact noted in the piece—that 70% of voters voted for a man who is proudly, openly racist and mysoginist—tells more about the community of Newnan than the article itself.
And about “human nature” in so many, who seem to keep their intolerance under wraps until behind the curtains in the voting booth.
493
@Huh This article misses the elephant in the room. It's not that the people of Newnan are bigoted although some clearly are. But first, this artist came to this community intending to cause controversy. Mission accomplished. Second, subtly implied in the installation "people of Newnan you have sinned & so we are going to open your eyes. This is your comeuppance." So it's not surprising that they're offended. People here are reacting against the "idea" of forced diversity which has permeated all aspects of our culture. The notion that we MUST have absolute diversity in all aspects of society can be irritating. Diversity is heralded as good in & of itself. It can NEVER be questioned. The left is trying to ram it down everyone's throat. Take the recent movie Dunkirk. This critically praised film was nominated for eight Oscars. But, it caught the ire of the progressive zealots because the cast wasn't 'diverse' enough. What annoys me is the left is trying to rewrite history to fit their political views. They said Dunkirk was full of "boring white men". Sorry, but millions of these "boring white men" fought for the freedom we have today & it's accurately portrayed in the movie Dunkirk. Or take Star Wars. The movie is great now because it shows that it doesn’t have to be about white males anymore! We have all the colors of the rainbow!!!” This is racist. You want to persuade someone to consider a different point of view. Try not to be condescending. That would be a good start.
15
@Bill Brown
1. " ... this artist came to this community intending to cause controversy." Where does the article say or imply that?
2. ' ... subtly implied in the installation "people of Newnan you have sinned & so we are going to open your eyes. This is your comeuppance.' Again, please cite the words that led you to draw this conclusion.
3. 'People here are reacting against the "idea" of forced diversity which has permeated all aspects of our culture.' America is, and always has been, a nation of immigrants. This diversity isn't forced -- it's the foundation of what America is; this diversity isn't an "idea" (why the quote marks?), it's reality.
I get it. The world is changing rapidly and you're scared. So am I. But I'm willing to see what the real agents of change are: a few pathologically rich crackpots who are degrading life for everyone else -- and I'm willing to understand that the rich pitting everyone else against in other, in an effort to deflect attention from their dangerous behavior, is the oldest trick in the book.
Please don't fall for this. Most Muslims aren't suicide bombers, most Jews aren't wealthy bankers or people intent on world domination, most black people aren't criminals, most women aren't man-haters, etc. etc. etc.
Even if the US had remained mostly white and Protestant, 2020 would still be radically different from 1950 -- just look at England pre-1950. Nothing stays the same. So please stop misidentifying the villains.
164
@Bill Brown This issue is a little more complicated. I live in a city which many Americans would consider very liberal. African Americans are free to live anywhere they want. Yet many of them tend to self-segregate, living in predominately black residential areas. I also notice that other ethnicities Hispanics, Asians, etc. do the same thing. If you look closely you will find self-segregation by religion too. One of my friends is an Orthodox Jew. He lives in a small self-contained Orthodox community. Anyone could live & be welcome where he resides but none choose to. Which is the crux of the problem, if there is indeed a serious problem. Left to our own devices we as Americans tend to self segregate by race, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation,& a host of other things. Not everyone wants to live in a diverse community. Nothing wrong with that. And here's the dirty little secret that no one wants to talk about. Progressives can't force us to worship at the altar of diversity, especially if we freely choose not to. Clearly many of us have chosen to live where we feel comfortable. The only way to change this is “mandated social engineering.” But that isn't the answer it goes against our nature. If someone chooses to live in an Orthodox Jewish or African -American community that's their right. I live in an ethnically diverse community. I like it. But we have to honor the right of those who choose not to...for whatever the reason. Freedom of association. Respect it.
22
I am an immigrant. I am not white. I am an American now.I live in a state that is progressive and therefore not exposed that much to ignorant people.But sometimes I do come across people who imply that they somehow are "allowing" me to be here and they are tolerant.
To them I say: I am here because of my choosing. This country belongs to me as much as it does to any other American. I am way past the "do I belong here? " question. There isn't a thing anyone could do about that.If anyone tries to question my place here or exhibit hostility, I am prepared to resist with proportionate hostility and violence if needed. A lot of us are tired of this nonsense.
834
@Climate Change Thank you for sharing your mind-set. Peace and aggression are at your command. Please resist exacerbating these issues.
38
@Climate Change so much of racism and prejudice is lack of exposure, and certainly the echo chambers of the internet fuel more animosity, prejudice, and hate. The optimist in me says that the more diverse (non white) America gets, the more walls and barriers that are torn down and that people will open their eyes and see that we all have similarities that don't justify the anger and hatred. From CA to Georgia, maybe eventually we'll actually be proud of our diversity but I'm not holding my breath.
41
@Rusty Shimstock — There could not be anything more American than standing one’s ground. It does not exacerbate aggression but stops it.
65
This is such a wonderful idea, and the pictures are stunning.
I would hope it would prompt people to see the beauty of the people who live in their community, and to realize the value of connecting with each other.
This requires us to drop our fears and simple-minded views of other human beings. It's well worth doing that simply because those views are false. Doing this makes it much easier to be good to other people, and to treat them as we should. But it also brings benefits to the person who does it--e.g., refusing to manipulated by fear and resentment makes it possible to live better, to relax and enjoy other people's contributions, and to learn from them.
For example, I'm learning a lot from the Rev. Patterson's courage, and thinking of things that I keep secret out of shame, and how it might be liberating to take that risk and be fully honest, and ask for forgiveness for those things.
If Ms. Meehan hadn't taken the risk of doing her project, and the town had not supported her, I never would have heard this story. And I'm not going to forget it.
Those are the kind of benefits art can bring. We can still be inspired by these qualities of courage and humanity in other people, and maybe that's the most effective response to people who want to make us suspicious and hostile toward one another.
12
Tolerance of intolerance is not an example of tolerance, it's the end of it.
If a doctor told you that you had cancer, but, you could be saved if the cancer were to be removed, and you said, "Well, I think it's wrong to interfere in that cancers right to do as it pleases?", Do you know what would happen? You'd die. That's what would happen.
The promotion of hatred, derision, racial violence, inequality, scapegoating, racism, etc, etc, these are all cancers. They are societal cancers. And they are extremely deadly.
There is an incredible irony, and glaring hypocrisy, in the white supremacist movement. And in lies in the fact that these people "demand" certain rights - the right to free speech, and the right to march and assemble, for example - yet they would most certainly deny those same rights to others if given half a chance.
Any group that demands what it would deny others, or, for example, insists that people obey laws that they themselves do not obey, does not deserve the protection of those rights and laws in the first place.
And any society that abets that kind of duplicity, is akin to allowing a deadly cancer to spread unabated.
29
A very well done and thought provoking article. The area in which we live is filled with small once only whites towns — very different from the more diverse town in which I grew up in western PA. Change is coming to our area, too, with new people, new foods, new voices, new beliefs. Change and diversity are good for towns like ours, but just as in Georgia there are those who are suspicious and wary of any change. I would love to do a similar project here.
8
These portraits are beautiful! I would love to see something like this in my town. Celebrate our amazing world and the people in it.
16
The portraits are beautiful, respectful and interesting. To me, they honor Newman. If fear is present, it was there inside those who choose to be afraid all along, not in the portraits.
We can go through life one of two ways. We can embrace lost, worthless causes another 100 years, and pass our fears through several more generations, adding to their undue burden. Or we can become wise, surrender battles that should never have been waged in the first place, embrace life, our fellow neighbors. We can then choose to be a part of what comes next, rather than flee from it. The choice is always ours.
16
I am relived to see that art can still prompt public discourse, even if difficult. I applaud Nuwnan's Artist in Residence program for commissioning the work.
11
In 1977 a space probe, Voyager 1, was launched with a mission to study "the outer solar system." A Golden Record is on board Voyager 1 which, after 42 years, 4 months, and 13 days, is still in touch with planet earth.
The Golden Record is a "gold-plated audio-visual" disc with sounds, images, voices in a multitude of languages, and music that represent the massive diversity of life here on earth. And it was sent in the event the spacecraft is "ever found by intelligent life forms from other planetary systems."
I was reminded of that stunning expression of possibility, hope, and friendship by the NASA scientists and US government, in a sweet movie on Amazon, "Troop Zero."
This story seems another and similar expression of possibility, hope, and friendship. And I want to do it in my city!
At the end of the movie excerpts of the Golden Record are played. It includes a child's sweet voice saying "Hello from the children on planet earth." Somehow, in the current context of hate and rancor, that innocent greeting from 42 years ago touched me deeply.
Let's do better in expressing possibility, hope, and friendship.
8
All I can say is hate is a learned concept and starts by cultivating inner "hate" you learn all this at least initially from your parents. People feel threatened, they may not admit to fear or even be connected to it on a deep level, but that is what it boils down to
6
Not exactly the subject of this article, but may I say that some of the portraits are in fact extremely good? Congrats to Ms. Meehan.
8
“I do not feel like the two women in the photo are radical or dangerous,” [Mr. Shelnutt] said. “I just do not think Newnan should be pushed to embrace Islam.”
Seen in print, Mr. Shelnutt's words confound. How does a portrait of these two sisters "push" Newnan's residents to embrace Islam? Does the mere presence of these two women's existence threaten and therefore "push" an embrace of Islam? Rev. Smith's portrait features a vibrant bow tie. Does this picture push the elimination of neckties? Ms. Bass's picture features an elaborate chandelier. Does this portrait promote crystals on our lighting fixtures. Mr. Shelnutt may not see himself as a bigot, but his irrational fear betrays him. He lives in a part of the country that once failed to see black people as anything more than property. It may be too great a leap for him to see two young women dressed in part in clothing associated with their religious beliefs to be anything other than a threat to his rigid definition of what it is to be an American.
60
@SNA The two girls are growing up as American girls of Muslim faith, in an American community...
3
@SNA Very well stated. You are absolutely correct that Mr. Shelnutt's response to the one photo is based entirely in his fearfulness.
6
One criticism. The portrait of the hijab wearing sisters should have been the one of them sitting outside on the rocks. (Looking at the camera.) Two kids playing outside...whats better then that, to show normalcy and commonality...?
5
@Boregard Yes, that was a good one, too. And several of the others were outdoors. But I'm sure the artist put some thought into her choice.
1
@Boregard Two girls sitting together on a sofa is the epitome of human normalcy and commonality... we are the ones who have to learn to appreciate and understand the word "human"
This is wonderful and much like the Crown Fountain here in Chicago.
I always find it weird when people say they don’t want positive depictions of Islam. Why is that? I can only guess because it challenges their myopic world view
13
@LD Perhaps the equivalent of telling the truth. The statement in itself is extremely revealing. Don't want to see truth or humanity. For a person who aspires to knowledge, seeing the good and the bad (which we all have) is a requirement.
1
'Oh, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in ’t!'
That's what I think, echoing Miranda.
6
But don’t forget Prospero’s sober response to Miranda’s naïveté: “‘Tis new to THEE.” Her father has lived in the world and knows firsthand the treachery it is capable of.
@Larry D. We are all capable of treachery indeed
I love when bigots like Mr. Shelnutt explain how they aren’t bigoted. He labels 2 young ladies by their religion and feels forced to embrace Islam. His snowflakey outrage over a mural only reinforces the stereotype of small-town, backward hicks.
31
I am curious. Do the same people that object to the hijab also object to nuns covering their head ?
27
I definitely do. All religions that promote the idea that women must cover themselves to prevent men from raping them need to be changed. Catholic, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, it doesnt matter to me. In fact, I'm a firm believer that orthodox religion of any kind is holding us back as a human culture.
5
Rip off all that headgear! It’s holding civilization back! Ban all showings of “The Bells of St. Mary’s!” Don’t let opera companies put on “Dialogue of the Carmelites”, since it makes the guillotine look bad when all along it was the right solution!
1
@Steve
If you are talking about Southern Baptists, then, yes--Catholicism is (or was traditionally) considered the "Devil's Religion."
The brutality of the micro-“brained” MAGA-men has been exposed for what it is: a genocidal blood lust of white supremacy.
10
I'm not sure exactly how I want to phrase this. I support(actively) in an overall sense efforts to foster the recognition and, moreover, the celebration of diversity in our communities. That said, I think I am in favor of the light touch -- especially in such a small community. This project has an extremely strong presence in everyday life. It could be regarded as intrusive in a purely visual sense, no matter what was the subject matter. At the very, least some sort of focus group, discussing the pros and cons of the project was in order.
1
@Jane Doe Point of clarification: the artist did spend a fair amount of time discussing the installation with residents. That isn't quite the same thing as a focus group where there is more of a back and forth action among people.
5
@Jane Doe
Perhaps it’s the other way around. Perhaps the art is fostering the focus groups.
6
@Jane Doe It sounds like there was quite a bit of thought and discussion before the work was put up. And it sounds like the only objections were to the picture of the girls, and those objections were a minority of the reactions. That's pretty amazing, when you think of it. Sounds to me like the project went very well.
2
Love this story. It's about how art can spark conversation, especially about difficult topics like race, religion, and gender. Even the people who are blind to their changing community, who fear religion now more than race, are forced into dialogues about those changes. Hopefully they will end up seeing everything and everyone in a more positive light. Kudos to Pastor Patterson for exposing the sins of his own ancestors as a way of furthering this important conversation.
9
This is brilliant! Kudos to all who conceived, designed, executed, and experienced new insights as a result. Wouldn't it be amazing if it is rolled out to other towns/cities?
7
I'm a liberal to the bone from birth, but am I alone in considering this project a profound example of how liberals don't recognize their condescension? As art - the portraits are commercial - sentimental and cliche and romanticizing and glossy and not only a little stereotyping - Norman Rockwell without the humor. The first thing that came to mind was Hillary's convention montage with voice-over by Morgan Freeman. The act of installing them isn't installation art, it's political advertising. Recognizing that people would be triggered, the decision was made to go ahead, invade those folks' peace of mind in public spaces, trigger them, shame those laggards to the agenda who object, in the New York Times no less. In what way is this a legitimate government function?
7
I sure wouldn't want giant portraits festooning the buildings in my neighborhood. I thought it was queer when Eric Adams hung a giant banner with his face on it from Brooklyn Borough Hall some years ago. I kept thinking of Russia and all those pictures of Stalin.
I wouldn't want even an iconic photograph of Bette Davis plastered on an apartment building wall.
4
@Leigh Who was triggered? A very small minority of citizens, in response to just one of the pictures. It's true that the pictures were all very nice: I imagine some punk photographer might come up with a counter-display with a lot more exposed tattoos and piercings and hostile expressions. Then you might have some triggering to talk about.
1
You know it might be interesting to revisit Newnan in a year or two to see if the portraits have done their job. Find out if Newnan has changed and how and why.
5
Great article. Glad it's pushing against those people who don't think their racists and maybe start questioning it. Love the part about Rev. Jim Patterson.
In a Southern Baptist Church in the south, that's the kind of truth that's needed.
10
Living close to Newnan for 25 years, the people are known to me. I am thankful for the citizens who were responsible for this celebration of community. Change, especially when it is thrust upon a community and a nation, is hard. Here, though is an act of courage and hope. Blessings on Rev Jimmy Patterson for showing us all how redemption occurs.
Michael Reynolds
Asheville, NC
289
@Michael L Reynolds I wonder how the indigenous people coped with change after 1492
14
@Michael L Reynolds
With all due respect, and blessings on Rev. Patterson, there is a difference between repentance, atonement, and redemption.
4
@Michael L Reynolds I too live in Asheville. The city may be the outlier at this point in terms of political weight, much to the detriment of the entire Western North Carolina region—which is certainly diverse. Newnan's project would be a good act to follow in our smaller towns in this region. Maybe our gerrymandering won't end soon, but it would send yet another message to our "representatives."
8
Acceptance of other cultures needs to be started from the cradle. I was at the local elementary school talent show; and it was very revealing about the divides that existed in my small town in New Jersey. While river edge prides itself on being the second most diverse town in New Jersey, it was not reflected in the 20+ group dances featured on stage. It was an eye opener for me and not in a good way..
7
My wife and I live in Atlanta coming from even larger cities to the north. Newnan might not have been the first small city we visited outside Atlanta but we've been back many times. We are both artists and Newnan has a vibrant and very high quality community of artists in residence. The art center there is a modern, well attended, multipurpose center with a gallery in the art museum named after Francois Gilot, Picasso's only wife who told him to hit the road. It's named after her because she visits there fairly often to see friends. I think the reaction to the large paintings could be a story from any size community in any region in the country. I don't see consternation on the faces of the residents, maybe amusement or curiosity at a hijab, surrounded by the reversed baseball caps and cowboy hats and bare heads. Even though the population has doubled since we first visited Newnan is still a friendly, well-cared-for city and really enjoyable to visit.
6
@mixietop Glad to hear it, a good community and a welcoming one is a win-win
1
All I can say to Newnan and to Ms, Meehan is 'Thank you'.
As a grandson of immigrants, I feel an obligation to welcome others into our country. They have much to offer us. In return, we have much to offer them. Win, win.
18
Great article.
More plz
If there’s one thing USA needs, it’s stories of inclusion. Accepting all of us is the only path to peace.
19
The photographs are exquisitely beautiful. Arresting in their placement. The impact of seeing such oversized high definition images—larger than life—is just stunning.
What a gift to give a city.
11
I love the idea. It seems an "emperor has no clothes" moment to question the quality of this "art," but I wish the photographs were better. Maybe you should call it billboard art?
2
@Susan Murphy
Hmmm... And we could call a Jackson Pollock work “what to with left over paint” art. A life spent trying to understand art (because I have not an artistic bone in my body) has led me to the place where, if I am moved, then it’s art to me. That’s why a banana on the wall was art, too.
3
Perhaps Mr. Shelnutt would also like Christians to remove their crosses hanging from their necks, nuns to remove their habits and priests and pastors to remove their clerical collars. After all, it's my guess that Newnan isn't overflowing with non-protestants. I applaud the town for this project. Maybe Newnan can teach Mr. Shelnutt a thing or two about America, freedom and Lady Liberty's Ideals.
15
@Mel as a point of order, the area is predominantly Baptist.
1
@Mel Mr Shelnutt already seems to be squirming around a little, to clarify that there's nothing wrong with those girls in and of themselves, except to the extent that they are trying to force him to convert to Islam. He doesn't want that.
3
The face of America is changing and people need to accept that it is not the WASP culture that is predominant. What I say to those who object to "inclusion" is: get over it.
14
The click bait headline should have been:
17 Outsize portraits that rattled one person out of 40,000 in an otherwise increasingly diverse small town, that is embracing diversity while trying to deal with the challenges of rapid population growth.
14
@Bill
I’m sure there is more than one that was ‘rattled’ by the portraits - but possibly not a majority. It opened a dialogue and I think that is very good.
I don’t know if Donald Trump is a racist or if his supporters are. I know he has made it comfortable for racists and xenophobes to ‘come out’. That can start a dialogue as well. Many racists are not redeemable but maybe many are. That’s our only hope.
8
@Bill
More than one person was put off, and many were allowed a dignified way to question their own values. That’s what comes from carefully reading the article, and that’s why most folks don’t stop at the headline. Going past headlines is also why I don’t think all Kiwis are Muslim hating murderers.
6
@Maxi Right: it was suggested that it was a minority, but more than just the one. "The post drew nearly 1,000 responses, most of them defending the sisters and accusing Mr. Shelnutt and others of being out-of-touch racists who were resistant to change and religious freedom..."
3
I'm not seeing any more than about two people actually identified as protesting the portraits. I skimmed a bit so maybe I missed some bigger movement of protest going on in town? This feels like an article straining for relevance, straining to make a case for a small-minded little town without making a very convincing case at all. It sounds like for the vast majority of people in the town there was little to no concern. Am I right? Just don't like seeing top of page Sunday front page stories in the NYT that are really basically not very significant at all.
6
@bounce33
I don’t think you missed much about the voices of those put off - they are few. But the voices of those made uncomfortable enough to look at themselves and grow is what the article focuses on. In Deep South Georgia, that is not insignificant.
3
@bounce33 Right. There was a suggestion that it was more than just the two people mentioned in the article ("The post drew nearly 1,000 responses, most of them defending the sisters and accusing Mr. Shelnutt and others of being out-of-touch racists who were resistant to change and religious freedom") but for the most part the response was apparently pretty positive.
Here in Sarasota, we’ve had a regular annual art festival, “Embracing Our Differences”, where students contribute banner designs that extoll diversity. Banners are displayed open air in our bay front park.
Perhaps this is more anonymous, but it it is still creative and very inclusive. Contributions come internationally.
Sarasota has had its own racial history, worst of it many years ago.
https://www.embracingourdifferences.or
We enjoy viewing the student art work.
6
@Dan Skwire the corrected link:
https://www.embracingourdifferences.org/
Thank you, I’ve just visited, great initiative!
1
My husband & I live in a very nice 22 floor apartment building in Portland, OR. The people are a big mixture of all colors, ages, etc. Lots of good will. We are all humans and wish each other well. I pray that this kind of understanding and tolerance and sharing could become the norm.
38
@Ethics 101
Please consider that your "very nice 22 floor apartment" might be enveloped in a bubble. I think if you venture out, you'll find that PDX is not all "lots of good will." The city struggles with systemic racism and a strong white supremicist movement. See: "Portland: Race Against the Past" at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/portland-race-against-the-past-white-supremacy-preview/
5
I work in a museum so I know a little bit about planning exhibits. I wonder if part of the reason this installation caused such controversy is because the art director never adequately explained to the community what exactly it was he was trying to do.
in addition to the portraits, was there any text around town clearly e xplaining the rationale of the exhibit?
On the other hand, after reading the piece, it sounds like the director got what he wanted, which was to push buttons.
3
@N
Are you assuming that such explanation would have caused those with clearly ignorant POV's, to not have them? That they would have had an awakening? I doubt it...as facts, or careful explanation of something such as this, rarely sway such folks.
2
@N
I don't really understand what buttons were supposedly pushed. These are portraits of actual members of the community. The only reason to be upset would be if you thought some people portrayed didn't belong there. That's a pretty big beam to have in your eye as a viewer, if you're familiar with the verse in Matthew.
As art, these portraits are pleasant to look at and not radical in their technique or style. They're as innocuous as idyllic imagery used for boosterism. No explanation is required to enjoy them; there is nothing aesthetically or intellectually challenging about appreciating them singly or in series.
5
@N
I generally say “Oh that’s interesting” and move away from any artist who finds it necessary to explain their art.
4
Hating people because of their religion or how they look is shameful. Those two young women have just as much right to be there and live in peace as he does.
15
It's sad -- nay, tragic -- that a perfectly nice picture of two lovely women wearing Islamic religious garb -- women who have been that man's neighbor for 7 years -- could make him suddenly rant against the Islamic faith as a whole.
Is that ignorance? Is it socializing to think that an entire religion is evil? Is it the pervasive hate in this country that ignores facts, reason and even the evidence of one's own eyes?
And yet, here we are.
35
James Shelnutt states that "Islam is a threat to the American way of life.” I would argue that his close-minded prejudice is a much greater threat.
108
@Vanessa Hall Meet the man himself. https://www.facebook.com/james.shelnutt.7
3
Looking into a mirror and not liking what you see...
What is it about Islam that scares God-loving christians so much?
26
@Jack
Their own willful ignorance. It should be no surprise that many Americans, rural or urban, Left or Right, or smack in the middle - are willfully ignorant, and damn happy to remain as such. Its very much a part of being a free and patriotic American...staying as ignorant as you damn well please.
6
@Jack
They’ve also been ‘scared’ by Jews, Catholics, Mormons etc., It’s fear of differences.
5
@Jack. I’ve met two types. There are those who have never met or noticed a Muslim in their community, and Fox seems to have taught them that they are mostly violent terrorists, and that treating them as normal people is anti-American.
The second type recognizes that this segment is here, part of our society, and that philosophically, diversity is good for our society, but they also don’t want a culture melting into our pot that seems fiercely about subjugation of women. I have sympathy for this view.
2
I’m from Newnan. I graduated from Newnan high school and then went in to SEC schools for undergrad and grad school and have since lived in Europe, the Northeast and now Cincinnati. I had the opportunity to see these portraits when I was visiting Newnan over Thanksgiving. My perspective is vastly different since I lived in Newnan. However, I can see that this installation may be challenging on many levels for those who live in Newnan and have lived there for a long time. In the early 90’s, we still had a black and white homecoming queen at the high school.
I hope that the photos have sparked discussion, uncomfortable as it may be some times, that will help all of us take baby steps to see that we all belong in Newnan and we have more in common than we have different.
458
I can be a bit of a Philistine regarding public art. All apologies if I don't get excited about a blob of steel on a downtown lawn, perhaps announcing that the corporate entity inside prefers to be just as inscrutable as the art.
But if the test of a piece of art is whether it transforms the world in which it exists, this is brilliant. Its power is its simplicity. The Mirror. Who are we? I know it's not meant to be permanent, like The Thinker (another pretty nifty piece of public art) but it seems a shame that it is coming down. Without doubt it will live on in the lives of many of the people who saw it. Bravo!
673
Yep.
9
@T.H. Wells
I think these photos, or pictures of other citizens, could be reproduced as frescoes or murals and then they'd stand for ages.
11
@T.H. Wells Increasing diversity is not always or even necessarily a good thing.
Based on crime statistics which the author surely ran across in her months of research for this article, Newnan is less safe than 85% of other US cities.
2
What a terrific project! The portraits shown in the article are beautiful. They clearly demonstrate what needs to be emphasized for the good of our collective civic life: people are just people. Regardless of social or ethnic background, race or gender, we are all individuals, with similar human needs, desires, hopes and dreams.
That basic fact so often gets lost in the first place. Then it is purposely obscured by the fear mongering and blaming of “the other” promoted by certain politicians and news outlets, with the destructive impact of heightening differences and lessening awareness of the similarities of the citizens. This is clearly an intentionally divisive means of obtaining and retaining power and such a danger to our collective present and future.
Mr. Hancock and all others who made this possible have done a great public service. Our country needs a lot more of this kind of thing. I look forward to a trip to Newnan to see these inspirational portraits.
39
The article featured two photos of the Shah sisters, yet the art installation used the more serious photo (subjects sitting on a sofa, looking straight into camera lens, not smiling, cannot see their clothing style beyond their hijabs). If the 2nd photo had been chosen instead, research shows that a more favorable reaction may have been experienced. The 2nd photo shows them outdoors on a nice day, engaged in casual conversation, laughing or at least smiling, neither is looking directly into the camera lens, you can see one of the sisters is wearing jeans, etc. A person likely has a better chance of identifying with the subjects in that setting. I would like to have been in the head of the artist to understand how and why she decided to use the more serious photo.
11
The Shah sisters look lovely, stately and dignified in the installation photo. I seriously doubt that using the photo you prefer hijabs would have stopped the criticism. It was the hijabs that set the critics off, nothing more.
2
If the purpose of the portraits was for the viewer to “identify with the subjects”, then the installation would be advertising, not art.
Many of the other subjects were not smiling or wearing jeans. Why didn’t you comment about them?
Clearly the Shah sisters made you uncomfortable, too.
5
Here is a wonderfully fair-minded article, as it is also ethically in support of diversity. Moreover, it's in support of rationality, versus impulsive reaction based on ignorance. It covers a subject that is itself a wonderfully beautiful idea about helping people learn the value of *reality* in recognizing the good in diversity. We see billboards advertising all kinds of things all the time. Sure, they intend us to "be pushed to embrace" toothpaste or some such. But let's not get completely caught up in the commercial advertising culture (as where most campaign funds go).
2
Bravo to all involved even the haters who publicly stated their opinions which starts a conversation. This at least opens the door to a community discussion where we can all share and hopefully better understand how our neighbors feel instead of anonymous ranting online. We may not agree but I think we can appreciate our neighbors/community pov if we listen.
4
Thoughtful article. Lovely photographs.
6
The concept here is inspired. It is seventeen images that show the validity, the diversity, and beauty of individual human beings all of whom happen to be neighbors. Some of the citizens of Newnan may be surprised by the answer to that old and still relevant question "Who is my neighbor?," but that surprise is itself justification for the project.
Each person has his golden memory of the past and his beautiful dream of the future. These look inward. They are best experienced with eyes closed. This project invites people to open them and see the good is around them. To these eyes it appears that there is much that is hopeful and beautiful in the people of Newnan. It would be a shame to miss it, lost in a dream of what was or might have been.
7
If I were getting my portrait taken, I’d think HARD, like real HARD about my outfit. Especially if it was going to be blown up HUGE on the side of the library. Or the market. Or wherever. In fact, last time I had a head shot, I struggled for DAYS to get “the look”: artsy, but not too artsy, more like a designer. Earth tone colors for my clothes- as a redhead, NO BLACK. Makes me look washed out. I could go on...
The suggestion that the artist “curated” the outfits and therefore the messaging is absurd. The point is for the subjects to be seen as they see themselves. Congratulations to all: the town, the artist, the writer of this piece. ART MATTERS.
5
Anything that promotes thought, discussion, contemplation, argument, conversation, etc...is beneficial and necessary for progress.
6
What a beautiful example of how art can move society; it challenges the way we think because art speaks in terms we can all understand, without telling us what to think.
In the story, one of the residents states that we shouldn’t be made to “embrace” Islam. They can’t see the person past the identity. You don’t have to “embrace” Islam in order to see those sisters as people who deserve the same rights and treatment that you do. When many white people see a black person, all they see is the color of their skin, and they go on to make assumptions about them as a black person - instead of simply a person with a different skin tone than yours.
Many white, straight Christian people in this country don’t see how their identity and beliefs have been imposed upon the rest of us as the “default norm” for centuries. The irony is that the fear some white people espouse is exactly what efforts like this are working to eradicate. Conservative Christian values pervade our society and laws, imposing beliefs about women and non-heterosexuals on all of us, whether we share those beliefs or not. White people are the only ones who have the luxury of being seen as a person first; when your race is the “default norm”, someone’s darker skin becomes an obstacle to personhood and equality.
Giving everyone the same chance to be a person without regard to race, religion, orientation or gender, is not a threat. When white people understand this, the problem will be solved.
16
A photographer and arts organization produce a number of oversized portraits (well done, yes) specifically to provoke dialogue. An evidently small handful of people carp about a couple of the portraits. I'm shocked. Is there actually a story here, or simply wishful writing...?
1
Beautiful. Wish I didn't live so far away.
2
I’d be much happier if the artist found secular Muslim women to put in her installation. The hijab is a symbol of oppression for many women in the Muslim world. In Iran, the chador (a more extreme version of the hijab) is enforced by the authorities but many brave women flout the religious law and expose themselves to punishment, including jail. No surprise that many highly educated Iranian women in the US are happy not wearing it. Secular Muslims are often persecuted in their communities and rendered invisible by well-meaning but ignorant American liberals. Instead of celebrating religious oppression, celebrate the many diverse Muslim cultures.
13
My female Muslim students told me wearing the hijab was a matter of choice, and many viewed it as a liberating garment, not an oppressive one.
Why are Americans so hung up about hijabs???
5
@Wendy Simpson I have had many Muslim students both here and in the Middle East. I am very familiar with the plight of Muslim atheists and free-thinkers who are often shunned by their communities and even threatened. “Choice” is a loaded word when a woman is pressured by her family to conform to their beliefs. The hijab is NOT a symbol of liberation. And incidentally it is not even required by the Quran.
7
@Mor
It was once explained to me by a very patient woman friend and Muslim that she views the wearing of the hijab, among other things, as an expression of modesty, much like women in other places wear clothes. I suspect that topless Tahitian women thought of Western women as oppressed prudes.
1
In these types of articles, I'm always baffled by this and similar statements: “The truth is, these conversations are hard and uncomfortable and awkward but we need to lean into it." Would someone please explain to me why "these conversations" are challenging to European Americans (also known as "white people")? Good grief. The press and the talking heads seem to pander to this population when something "uncomfortable" challenges their status quo or what they perceive as their normalized way of life. Is that difficult to recognize that everyone in America is not white and that there are different religions? It's 2020! What am I missing??
6
@Apollo Maybe when white people are comfortable and welcoming the New York Times and others in the media don't write about it.
3
Here's a verse that was actually deleted from Frank Sinatra's hit rendition of "The House I Live in," an otherwise-great song about real patriotism and real love of country. Too controversial in 1945, and still apparently too controversial for some:
The house I live in, my neighbors white and black
The people who just came here or from generations back
The town hall and the soapbox, the torch of Liberty
A home for all God's children, that's America to me...
8
You would think that anyone would be proud to live in a peaceful community like this, filled with people of many nationalities, religions, and walks of life. I grew up thinking of that as the American dream. It surprising how some people consider it a nightmare. I'm hoping they're a minority.
10
This is disgraceful, and indicative of a distressing trend in our broader society.
Personally, I dislike overt religious symbols, including large crosses, stars of David, yarmulkes and hijabs, with heightened dislike for the latter with their overtones of misogyny and implicit insult to my masculine sexuality (no, the sight of female head hair does not tempt me to assault, thank you very much.)
But they are what they are, and we can celebrate the wearers of these symbols for their diversity, without celebrating the wearing of the symbols. At least, I do, and as never before, our planet's human population must stand together and support each other.
In colonial periods, including certain of my ancestors, the colonists were far more tolerant of the other; they were proud of their knowledge of Native American languages and their friendships with the locals; they cultivated acquaintance with customs of the Orient and admired the dress and skills of the Middle East. (They also included religious fanatics who burned witches at the stake, and iothers who imported African slaves to work their land.) It was well after the Revolution that the process of institutionalizing an "us" and "them" began in earnest. We would do well to remember our more inquisitive, inclusive and ancient heritage and get in the habit more of curiousity and less of reflexive condemnation.
In addition, the photographs are works of art, gifts made to the city. A little gratitude would not be amiss.
8
"What a Wonderful World" (This Could Be)!
5
Powerful! Every city, every town, every borough in America should do this. Today. Right Now!
4
Let's take a slightly longer view.
We immigrant newcomers who've arrived sometime during the past 500 years to this continent have a pretty terrible record concerning the original inhabitants.
During our short tenure, we systematically killed off more than 90% of a population that had lived her for more than 10,000 years.
The Creek and the Cherokee peoples can attest to our savagery and brutality, from the intentional spread of disease and alcohol to endless lies, theft, and broken treaties.
The signal irony in these United States today is to witness earlier immigrant populations treating slightly later immigrant populations with intolerance and hatred. We can only imagine the incredulous laughter of the First Peoples - who have the one true claim to heritage and this land.
17
Art makes us uncomfortable. And being uncomfortable makes us think about our own tacitly held truths. We reject some, table a few and reaffirm others. That's how we get through life. Otherwise we are in a prison of our own making.
193
Are you saying we are made uncomfortable by encouraging diversity? I would suggest this art makes some people very comfortable, to the point of self-righteousness, and means absolutely nothing to Neo-Nazis. Who is changed by it?
@TNM Marcel Duchamp said, "Tradition is the prison in which you live." It appears that some residents of Newnan are locked in that prison.
11
@Cold Eye : The children of the people who oppose it. Children growing up in households with rigid beliefs that wouldn't be challenged if the children were't exposed to other ideas. Obviously some, or many, of those kids won't be changed -- but some will.
Read the NYT Picks comments by Corrie, a Southern woman whose viewpoint is quite different from that of her parents.
Let in the fresh air.
16
I think small towns across the country should do this. Its compelling to see and a way to make the "other" one of us. Lovely idea.
17
Good article. While I agree with the sociological commentary the “art” is intended to evoke, I think when art is used to make a specific point about any particular social or political idea, it ceases to be art and becomes propaganda. No matter which side of the debate uses it. In this entire article, the aesthetic value of the artistic works in question is not addressed, while its value as a response to Neo-Nazis is celebrated. Americans are basically utilitarians. For example, public education has evolved to job training, because we don’t understand or value its original purpose in a democracy. Similarly, in this case, art is conceived as a tool to promote a particular point of view and in reaction to a negative event. It is used almost as a weapon. There used to be a cartoon of the typical vulgar, American Bermuda-shorted tourist in front of Michaelangelo’s “David” turning to his wife and suggesting that it should have a clock in its belly. For many well-intentioned people, this use of the term “art” applied to a work with an intended political message, is also an appeal to another kind of “clock in the belly”.
A work of art is intrinsically valuable exclusive of any political or sociological meaning. Picasso’s “Guernica” evokes the horrors of war. Period. Not the Spanish Civil War in particular. Let’s not allow what happened to public education to happen to art.
1
@Cold Eye
Guernica evokes the horror of war by depicting a very specific event of the Spanish Civil War, the first large scale aerial bombardment of civilians. It was this event that gave Picasso the theme for a work already commissioned by the Spanish Republican Government, It was also the reason he and his heirs refused to allow the picture to hang in a Spanish Gallery until after the death of Franco.
To stand in front of this work is to hear the screams of the people and the livestock as death fell on them from the sky.
2
Right. Which is a universal human experience.
@Cold Eye
One person’s propaganda is another person’s call to justice. It is no wonder that despots typically go after the poets and muralist first, even before they go after the intellectuals. Art is not propaganda, although it could be used that way.
1
Those pictures are lovely, the people in them are America. The fact they went up is wonderful.
The fact anyone is bothered by them is why they are necessary.
87
This is something that gives hope. Change and growth can be difficult and painful as well as necessary.
In Canada we are working on learning about and recognizing our own white racism, particularly concerning the indigenous people whose land we took by force and deceit. There is also our story of how we mistreated the many people of colour who came north seeking freedom, only to find themselves up against the same prejudices. We are learning about our own historical racism that hurt people from China who helped build this country, the Jewish people we turned away when they came here seeking refuge from Nazi Germany, the people of Japanese origin who were forcibly detained during WWII. There is a considerable list and it is not confined to the past.
The thought and courage it took to bring this art project into being demonstrates that art, inspired by truth and focused with reality can help us all learn and grow towards understanding. Thank you for this memorable and insightful journalism.
10
This community is very small, in the deep south, and may contain only a small fraction of citizens who do not go to the local baptist church. They validly represent themselves, but not America in any generic broadly applicable way.
They have been subjected to right wing talking points on TV constantly, all coming out of think tanks in suburban Washington DC for 40 years — trumpeted by Rupert Murdoch's Media Empire. Though at times, too often picked up by this paper and trumpeted as a valid "opinion" when opinions are in fact not manufactured by paid propagandists.
Murdoch, a single Australian immigrant brought with his enormous wealth the anti-immigrant jingoism of his home nation and made it the policy of our government through his slow but steady bribery (call it campaign contributions if you must, or media commentator jobs, but it was successful) of every Republican politician.
So in a way, they are right, the small town folk spooked by billboard sized images of passive non-threatening muslims — we need to be on guard against every immigrant because the damage that a single malevolent one can do to a society has been proven.
7
@Arthur I guess Murdoch does provide a good example. I am so pro-immigration that I never thought to look at from the other perspective.
2
Can I get an installation like this in my city?
5
I love the pictures. They present the dignity and worth of every person. Bigotry and intolerance have no place, and the more we make bigots uncomfortable in their beliefs, the better off America will be.
10
First, absolutely stunning portraits. Second, what a great project, for any small city or town. And last : those made “uncomfortable “ by this project are the intended audience. America is changing, and has changed. It’s no longer the 1950s of your childhood, or your parents. You have a few options. Continue to live in your insular world, and give in to fear and bigotry. Try to pretend that “ those people “ don’t exist. Embrace the stoking of prejudice from the Politicians pandering to hate. Stick to your own kind, refuse to consider new thinking, or behavior. Go ahead, move further out of Town. Perhaps a “ Compound “ ?
OR, consider small steps to a fresh start. Deep down, most people are very similar. They want security, Work, the ability to care for their Families, to better themselves, to Worship as they please. Or Not. If we were all the same, life would be very repetitive, dull and predictable. If that’s what you prefer, just stay at home and watch FOX “ news “ 24/7.
Live and let Live, or just stagnate. Choose. And choose wisely.
11
Sorry, I'm not seeing any news here. If anything, Newnan strikes me as a lot more tolerant than many places I've lived, places where a large picture of sisters wearing hajibs would either be vandalized or destroyed.
Here is the Cliff Notes version: Large photos of people of different ethnicities were installed in a town where some residents liked them and others did not. Some objections were deemed racist by some folks. Racism is deeply entrenched in the United States.
This is news? Also, I'd like to know what explains the explosive population growth. That would seem relevant and newsworthy, but not a peep.
On a wider note, I wish that NYT would abolish this obsession with race that seems to have germinated a reporting team devoted to race reporting. It's like assigning reporters to cover the sun rising each day. Is racism important? Absolutely. It's awful, it's everywhere and it won't seem to go away. But stories like this, and stories on nutballs of no consequence who get cellphone-videoed saying racist things in public (of which NYT has run more than one), don't help. They don't increase understanding of racism. I'd rather have journalists researching and writing about stuff I don't know about.
It's almost as if, when folks of different races help each other, NYT is shocked and writes a story. And when folks of different races refuse to help each other, NYT is shocked and writes a story.
Sigh.
8
@August West, Newnan is growing because it’s become a part of Atlanta. During my college days (early 1970’s) it was a fairly isolated small town through which I passed when traveling between home and my small college in LaGrange, Ga. The interstate highway (I-85) didn’t extend from Atlanta as far as Newnan back then.
Atlanta’s growth in the past 40 years has changed innumerable towns like Newnan. They have become suburbs, and that has brought demographic and other change. This exhibit seems to me an ingenious way of showing people who their fellow citizens are, and that people are just people.
As a white native Atlantan who grew up during Jim Crow, I applaud the educational and public service that this project performs. It encourages people to see the individual, as well as his or her cultural, ethnic, racial or gender difference, and to see beyond those differences.
4
@Carol
Thanks, Carol. Your comment, genuinely, helped put things into perspective for me. And I don't disagree that the exhibit is a good idea. I suppose I was somewhat taken aback by the presentation and what was emphasized: I'm much more interested in what the sisters said than whack jobs jabbering on Facebook. It seemed as if NYT was taking an a priori position that sounded like rounding up usual suspects.
America is filled with sundown towns, former and perhaps present. If you're white. you've heard the stuff, even now, which is said in confidence by ignorant folks who wouldn't dream of saying it with people of color present. That's reality. Always has been, near as I can tell, always will be. I think we've made some progress, but we've got a long ways to go, and we'll build a colony on Mars before we'll get the race thing figured out. So, I don't want to obsess about it or read one story after another about it, which is what NYT is doing with this newsletter on race. Race just is, and all I or anyone else can do is follow the Golden Rule and let chips fall as they will.
Hate puts blinders on, whether you put them on yourself, or another or others provide them for you, you're handicapped, this project removes the blinders.
And, this needs to be done more frequently in more places sooner rather than later.
Like DNA test surprises, your identity and how you define yourself, your town, city, county, and state, ain't what you think it is, trust what you think you know is wrong.
The sooner you quit putting someone else down for their race, religion, or ethnicity, the sooner you see yourself, and that's important because we're all in this together, and you're going to need a hand someday, and you're not going to care about the color of that helping hand, trust me on that one.
7
Art starts conversations. I have seen the portraits in person, and they are quite moving. Part of art’s job is to disturb the comfortable, and that’s why thousands of comments were made on Facebook about hijabs. Most people who make comments on Facebook don’t think first, or bother to research their stances first, but art that you drive past every day forces you to take a moment to THINK. Why is Islam so scary to Southern people, particularly those who attend evangelical churches? That’s the question.
Regarding Rev. Patterson’s epiphany, I have one question: are you going to continue affiliating yourself with the status quo of the Southern Baptist Convention, or are you going to push for racial reconciliation? Most people who attend Southern Baptist churches do not know the history of it. There is a reason that the reach of the SBC looks exactly the same as a map of the Old Confederacy.
Glad Rev. Patterson exposed his family’s will, but now what? Why are Baptist churches in the South still segregated? What is the point of this? I grew up in a SB church. But as an adult, I refuse to attend a church where a woman is not even permitted to lead the closing prayer, where black people are not welcome, where you hear biracial kids who come to church with friends called “fudgecicles” by SB deacons. The racism and sexism inherent in SB beliefs — that’s why you’re losing members. Nearly half of all the people in my generation who attended SB churches as teens no longer do. THINK.
344
@Corrie
I thank Mr Patterson for his actions. We can disagree, but to me that took a lot of courage.
As for your last sentence, THINK, why do you assume they don’t?
They may not be vocal about it, or radical in their approach, but I find many of an older generation have come to understand we are all created equal.
8
@Corrie
Excellent post!
12
@Daria because my experience is that the majority of people who attend Southern Baptist churches do not think. They are fed a set of beliefs that they are taught not to question. Ever. My dad is a Southern Baptist deacon, my mother teaches Sunday school and leads a women’s Bible study, and they have the audacity to tell me that I’m not a Christian because I won’t go to church with them. Well, I am a Christian, I take being a Christian to heart, I help the poor and try to do the right thing based on the Golden Rule, but because I refuse to attend the church I grew up in, my parents and others think I’m not a “real” Christian. It’s because they don’t THINK. They just regurgitate archaic beliefs that, when a thought process is applied, fall apart. That’s why they don’t think. Thinking is the enemy when a belief system is held together by prejudice.
123
What a positive article. I admire the town for pushing the project regardless of tension caused. I believe too many people get offended so easily these days and many times institutions back down. I saw a comment about if the people chose their attire. Valid and important. Considering the time the artist spent in the town prior, the time she spent engaging community members, and the sensitivity of the cause, it doesn't appear to be an issue.
Beautifully done and a model for other communities. Thank you to all involved
4
Mr Shelnutt: a photo does not push anyone towards anything. Especially religion!
Newnan: Art is the biggest contributor to history. From cave drawings to paintings to photography and beyond - art preserves history... you and your community are now part of that history. Well done.
Mr Shelnutt: those girls have two eyes, ten toes, ten fingers, one brain, and one heart - just like you. At the core, how different are they from you? Embrace the core; the rest will follow once you open your mind to the person(s) and let go of your fear and bias.
19
At first I was shocked. How could normal pictures of normal people cause a commotion?
But then you mentioned Facebook, and that one bigot wrote a post to stir up hate amongst his friends.
Why amplify that voice by giving it an article? One person on Facebook can make an entire community look like trash, but we all know that's not the world most of us live in.
To the reverend's point, “We need to talk about who lives in our community and if they are different, why does that make us uncomfortable?” I would ask, who is uncomfortable? Most of us are not.
Just one guy on Facebook with some bigoted followers. If Facebook would refuse to publish that nonsense, this would be the crazy racist yelling from his lawn. But somehow, he has the internet, and thus, enough legitimacy to get a New York Times article.
That's too bad. Other than this one nutcase, the people in the town sound like they care about their neighbors and want to keep the best of small-town life while including others as they can.
19
@L So now, Facebook is art.
1
@L from Seattle, as someone who grew up in Newnan and still loves this town, I can say that you are correct, and thank you. Around the time Ms. Meehan’s first portraits were hung I attended “A Taste of Newnan.” It was a beautiful spring night on the square, and I was introducing out-of-town musicians to Newnan’s Brunswick stew and other culinary delights. Everyone was out. For the first time I can recall, I saw some women in hijab. It was only remarkable because I’d never seen this before, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves, and everyone was completely natural. Thanks for giving Newnan a chance as Ms. Meehan has done!
Wow. When the sight of a picture someone who looks foreign sends you into a xenophobic rage, then racism is the least of your problems. Hate drives you, and hate makes you miserable. Hate shortens your life, hate poisons your relationship with family and friends.
Hate, in addition to all this, undermines your religious values. Jesus is very clear in the New Testament when he tells us to love all, even our enemies. The Holy Qur'an demands we treat all people, especially people of the book, with dignity and respect. If you express your opposition to another religion with hate, you are undermining the very values you pretend to hold dear.
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It shows what fragile cowards these racists really are and how weak their national paradigm is. Scared by the portrait of two girls? Is that really going to make your pitiful world fall apart? It does also show the power of visual representation, and the need to continue to demand an accurate public representation in all spheres of life.
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Well now the good ole boys and girls know how so many Americans feel what they shoves their crosses and prayers in everyone's face. Now they understand how so many feel when the demand we accept their religious views as superior to all others, Religious freedom for them but not the Shah Sisters.
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Interesting data point: Newman is of late increasingly diverse and growing, yet seventy percent of the people voted for the racist xenophobe for president.
How is that possible?
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Seventy percent of the barely 50 percent who voted. More than half the electorate abstains from voting in any presidential election, as they correctly perceive no difference between the two parties of the rich. The vast majority of the working class does not vote for good reason. So it would be dishonest and inaccurate to draw any sweeping conclusion based on the voting habits of a minority.
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@Larry Dickman Thank you for highlighting the question that arose for me, too. I've been addressing the tragic, now near-invisible trend in low voter turnout overall when I state about recent elections: "It's the low voter turnout, stupid!" Pundits almost never take it into consideration when prognosticating.
The election in 2018 showed a record turnout with significant results--in particular, flipping the House--which I hope has begun to keep reversing that awful trend. We have to keep in mind that in the 2016 election, the majority never wanted Trump, but enough people in certain areas didn't vote, leaving it to the non-majority to give it to the Electoral College. I urge people to check their registrations and go out and vote, as they should urge others to do so, in turn.
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@Larry Dickman
Easy, it is Georgia, land of voter suppression and intimidation.
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I was born and raised in a twin city to Newnan 40 miles due east on Ga Hwy 16. Just south of ATL, the epitome of black America's coolness in this millennium, national news outlets still go out of their way to find racism in a Southern town that has had fully integrated education since 1972. White Southerners continue to be portrayed as ignorant racist rednecks and true Southerners like Trae Crowder get fawned upon as some kind of unicorn -- a Liberal with a Southern Accent! Wow! Look at him! And wow. Some of our white ancestors owned slaves! Who knew? All of this does a disservice to every white Southerner like my own father, who had a cross burned in his front yard by the Klan in 1982. It made the Atlanta paper. Y'all can do better than this.
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@Liz
How is this story an insult to your Father?
Bottom line-most white Southerners are ignorant racists, in particular in states like Georgia. Your Father wasn't one of them, but in fairness, it sounds like you are wearing blinders if you think so highly of the shockingly unenlightened crowd of whites trying hard to hold onto power in the old South.
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Texas Duck from Dallas? And you’re impugning an entire region in the Southeast and specifically the entire State of Georgia? Sad
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Great isn't it? If there is a small town somewhere in US which cannot or does not want to hang an appropriate number of 'diversity' or 'change-reflecting' portraits what shall we think about it? Racists? Homophobia? Downright fascists? What are the liberal's minimums as far as the diversity and 'change' are concerned?
The purpose of this article is to yet again blemish the whites and accuse them of some sort of rampant modern-day racism, motivated by the appearance of the incomprehensibly stupid group of loons who 'celebrate Hitler's birthday', which should be punishable by law, who stand for nothing, and who should be prosecuted. The whites in general are the primary reason that those portraits can be hanged, mea culpa for sins of the past. This society has come a long way since the gory days of the worst racists in modern America, Southern Democrats.
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@ss The "worst racists in modern America, Southern Democrats" ... have become Southern Republicans. It is disingenuous at best to imply that this is a trait of the modern Democratic Party.
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@ss
Oh, I think this article does a good job of parsing out the good from the bad.
And let's face it, your term "liberal" is designed to highlight someone who supports civil rights and decency.
Don't kid yourself, yesterday's Southern Democrats are today's Southern Republicans.
The difference of course, at least the old Southern Democrats supported social programs designed to help all Americans.
Today's Southern Republicans are so narrow minded and full of hate, they were dumb enough to join up with a Country Club party that looks down on them and laughs at and ignores their actual day to day needs. They just use these ignorant clods by playing the race card. It works well.
I've been in the room pal. Your ilk is openly mocked by the people that run the Republican Party.
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@ss This white man strongly disagrees with you. The system is racist, many white people are racists, it is simply a fact. If you feel that shoe does not fit you, then do not take the criticism as a personal attack. Work to make things better for everyone.
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“Islam is a threat to the American way of life,”
In my case, the only people who have been threats to my "American" way of life are Christian fundamentalists who tried to impose prayer in my high school, banned books that did not promote "Christian values," tried to limit my access to reliable birth control, wanted to prevent me from getting a no-fault divorce, and, to this day, hassle me every time I walk by the local Planned Parenthood with signs containing lies and hate. Four out of five of those are violations of the rights protected by the amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
I walk by a Mosque on a regular basis, and no one entering or exiting has ever tried to convert me, hassle me, slut-shame me, etc. And Muslim classmates and coworkers have always been professional, respectful, and tolerant about my (lack of) religious beliefs.
I guess I have a different view of what the American way of life is.
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JL,
Don't you know it is because Islam is not the protected religion of the majority in the USA? Do you actively report the infringement of your rights or, are you ambivalent? Name a country where Islam is the national religion, where you would enjoy those rights? That mosque you walk past? Women have to pray separately to the men or at the back, if space will not permit.
This project was supported in part by the University of West Georgia. The university has a growing satellite campus in Newnan. As the article indicated, most people are very open and decent. "Seeing Newnan" project made possible the several conversations held to appreciate the town and its residents, specially the newcomers. The project provided the opportunity for some soul-searching as well as growth and enrichement. Without a doubt, most folks are very welcoming, and for everyone who does not appreciate the diversity and evolution of Newnan there is a thousand who do. Of course, one must acknowledge that Newnan, as any other town, has long history filled with the good and the bad. It is truly special to see communities who are willing to engage in self-reflection and forward thinking. Change and diversity are as American as apple pie.
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@Dr. Professor:
Two links you may appreciate as an addendum to "Seeing Newnan" Project.
https://www.westga.edu/academics/coah/sota/seeing-newnan.php
http://www.marybethmeehan.com/portfolio/newnan-installation/?fbclid=IwAR35spuiyl42739XiQMtAj3t2olHFxy72vZ1V-Dsa7CQ4zZeqcSUY4HjqxA
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I think the concept is interesting and positive in regards to enlarging a portrait and displaying it as such.
However the photographs themselves are average at best and certainly the word art does not have to used in every single context.
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@Clover Crimson How thoroughly irrelevant to the bigotry on display in this article! I guess we know what's important to you; I guess we can clearly see where you stand.
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@Clover Crimson - well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
Art should make people think. It should challenge us. Art should open our minds. This project seems to have accomplished this goal.
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@Weiler that is exactly the feeling I am left with!
I found the comments quite negative whereas I left feeling there is hope for the close minded. People are talking. Their perceptions are being challenged and hopefully they are listening.
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What a beautiful art project. It is quite amazing to see how powerful can be the simple but large visual portraits of residents in confronting the dehumanizing opinions of those residents by some.
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Art helps us to look at the world we live in thanks to artist’s sensibilities. It’s about revealing what is hidden and highlight what we usually do not see. Art can take any form. Art creates discussions and sometimes controversy. Controversy is healthy as long as the discussion is open.
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Absolutely beautiful work. This is truly a great way to start a dialogue. I am inspired. Kudos to the artist and thank you!
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Loved this story and marvelous photos. We all need this, every town large and small in America. Thank you to all who created the photo project and those who told this story.
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@Joan Agree. Such a lovely, yet moving, piece about our neighbors and ourselves.
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Photography is art, isn't it? Good and bad art shakes one up to see the beauty and tragedy around as well as challenge stereotypes and presumptions. Abstract art can confuse or amaze us as we attach our own emotions to different pieces.
Pictures and portraits of other humans, deceased or living, cause us to wonder about these folks and their surroundings. Who are they and might I like them? Photos in this article are ones of several individuals in Newnan. They provide only a glimpse of a growing and changing town. But now we may be curious about Newman. Maybe a visit there will introduce us to the rest of its various citizens.
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@Bill W
I stand corrected. The town is Newnan, not Newman.
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So interesting how some commenters here applaud the use of "art" to start this type of dialogue. My bet is that the opinions would change if the art we spoke of was, for example, the depression era frescoes in place at George Washington High School in San Fransciso. Those magnificent works of art were demanded to be taken down or hidden from view because they dared to show images from a bygone era, which depicted slaves and Native Americans. Or, the repeated demands that Civil War era Confederate statues be removed wherever and whenever found. Art's value is very relative, and apparently used as a cudgel for those wanting their political perspectives advanced.
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@JP What political perspective do you feel is advanced with these portraits? That we should be kind, open and understanding of our neighbors? Is that politics, or is that just being a nice person? These works could just as easily be demanded to be removed, and it sounds like those voices are also present. But what's wonderful about this particular art installation, and the way it differs from what you describe, is the subjects are all current (and presumably upstanding) residents of the town. I think this makes it far more difficult for even those in favor of removing them to not seriously think about their choice and why they feel the way they do.
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Those confederate monuments aren’t from the “civil war era” they were mostly put up during the Jim Crow era. I suspect to intimidate and glorify the imaginary Old South.
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Isn’t art subjective anyway? Aren’t you faulting it for being what it is?
You seem to contrast the frescoes and Confederate (not Civil War) civic art with these modern portraits as if the former are somehow devoid of pushing an agenda while the latter is about nothing but “politics”. How are these racist depictions more authentic to you than a work attempting to turn the page?
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This is a great case study for students at all levels learning about ethnocentrism, race relations, etc. Art in this case was a stimulus for a community working through the problems encountered when diversity emerges (for whatever set of reasons) in a previously homogeneous town or city. And within such a town who are the "group" therapists such as officials, clergy, teachers, media members, civic leaders, and citizens who can create new dialogues, practices, and organizations that can lead to the celebration of diversity rather than regression into fear, paranoia, and prejudice?
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@James Bean I agree with you well written article we can all learn from
“Islam is a threat to the American way of life,” says Mr. Shelnutt. And granted that public manifestations of Christianity or Judaism in predominantly Moslem countries is not allowed or banned. In some countries Christians and Jews are murdered, their homes torched, their places of worship destroyed. Our country has long been open to immigrants from different faiths and ethnicities. So, Mr. Shelnutt, which American way of life are you talking about? Mine? You don’t know me. I was born in Texas. My parents were from Ohio. Their ancestors immigrated from England and Scotland. Do you mean that “American way of life”?
Many American women wear crosses on necklaces. Others wear Stars of David. Some wear half moons. Should these be banned from public display to protect your American way of life?
Time was, and not so long ago, that Jews and people of color were prohibited from certain public places or from enrolling in Ivy League schools and colleges. Remember? Which “way of life” do you represent, Mr. Shelnutt?
As a diplomat I once lived in Iran. Most women wore and wear chadors (similar to hijabs) when they are out in public. This was a custom during the reign of the Shah. It’s more so now, but many women flaunt it. Time was, in our own country, that women of good families did not go out on their own; they had chaperones. And they wore long dresses and bonnets to cover themselves. Is that your American way of life, Mr. Shelnutt?
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@bkbyers They are only restricted is a few, Oddly the ones American calls its friend have the most restrictions against Christianity and Judaism along with other religions. Something Trump, Pence, and Trump Christians seem to ignore.
Ye churches egt torched in Islamic countries just as mosques and synagogues are bombed and torched by some of Trumps good people, Hell his good people torch an shoot up Black Christian churches.
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Well-written.
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@bkbyers
This wonderful comment would need to be read on Fox News in order for Mr. Shelnutt to hear it. Too bad it's only in the NYT, whose readership (mostly) already agrees with the point of view represented here.
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Newnan has indeed changed, as have many small towns in Canada.
The biggest change has occurred in Canada's biggest city, the world-class city of Toronto, where more than 50% of the current population was born outside of Canada.
When I attended the University of Toronto in early 1960's, the city was mostly W.A.S.P--white anglo-saxon protestant.
Now it proudly and very successfully reflects the diversity of the human race.
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@ac
Is that last sentence true?
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@ac Amen from an American who lives outside of Toronto. Also want to add in the last election the Conservatives (before Harper and his crew they called the party Progressive), lost the election for two major reasons - one they campaigned against climate change and two the leader Scheer never attended a Gay Pride Parade or anything connected to certain groups in the country. They lost because the Progressive vote of the other parties equaled almost 70%. Scheer also forget to mention that he was an American (no problem like me, but he never mentioned nor gave up his US citizenship. He has quite and the Conservatives are looking to replace him with another person who is against environment, and gays and others and is for the WASP platform. I like it they will lose everytime, I am 73 and the world has changed and those who continue to go on about tradition and our way of life which for the most part was racist and meant to divide they will lose everytime. I marvel at those who continue to state the WASP is the greatest when I look around not just at them but Trump. Boris Johnson, Morrison in Australia if this is the best I want no part of it. Jim Trautman
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@ac Your comment shows how differently the US thinks about diversity from the rest of the world. Toronto is 48% white (European heritage). Of the remainder, 40% are Asian. Here, Asians are generally excluded fro. Discussions of diversity and privilege. Usually, only blacks. hispanics, and the occasional native American are included. African heritage in Toronto is only 5%, and hispanics even less.
I am not saying that I disagree with your characterization of Toronto. It is more about how the US politically narrows it.
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What an excellent reminder that art exposes the viewer as much as it exposes the artist. How can a simple portrait of one's neighbors be controversial? Whatever feelings these evoke in the viewer are theirs, and it is their responsibility to deal with them. Blaming the artist for causing controversy is simply beside the point, and taking them down pre-maturely would be a sad commentary on the town, not the artist.
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Yes!!!
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Hat a marvelous idea, Every town should do this.
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I am sure that the native Americans asked themselves the same questions when the flood of white Europeans came to their homelands. The Newman portraits literally put a face on the community and force its residents to deal with its differences. If they have promoted dialogue so much the better as this will help dispel myths.
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@Steve — American white-centrists don’t know our country’s history, have poor memory, or likely both.
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Will Newnan celebrate the exhibit’s success in June with a town picnic or some such neighborly festivities? It is tasteful and lovely.
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What an intelligent and caring way to recognize and acknowledge differences without being confrontational about those differences. Here is to the day we may have more conversations and fewer shouting matches!
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My thoughts, too.
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There is a real irony in a people who call themselves The UNITED STATES of America when they can still see pass the skin colours of their own countrymen.
Or religion.
Or political ideology.
Or moral superiority.
If they can, those large posters could not have been needed to be hung in such a way to REMIND them in the first place.
In 2020.
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I wish that the reporter had asked whether the portrait subjects chose their clothing and their settings. She missed an important factor, in ignoring that. Did the white man in the cowboy hat, caressing the American flag, ask to be portrayed that way, or was it the photographer’s conceit? Was it the photographer who decided that the young black girl would pose in her virginal, white dress and caplet, while the young white woman was photographed in a bikini top and Daisy Mae denims, while holding a beer?
My question is this: how much does the preconceived notions of this northern, liberal photographer shape her project?
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@Passion for Peaches It occurred to me as well. It's impossible not to notice the curatorial influence present in the images, almost all of them perfect stereotypes, staged even. But that is exactly the task for the artist, to figure out how to present a set of ideas in such a way that people can begin talking about them. It is sanitized yes, but I think for the benefit of the project and the people in it. It is the stereotypes that people needed to talk about. If the projects remains in the public memory the lasting effect of that conversation would be more subtle and take place over time.
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I never thought of that. Great questions!!!
-a liberal reader
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@Passion for Peaches, I don't know what's wrong with any of these portrayals, regardless of who dreamed them up. Got a problem with cowboy hats and flags? With bikinis, or virginal dresses? Why would that be?
This is America. Still a free country, last time I checked.
20
What beautiful portraits of Americans living in this small town. I love the diversity of the American people, yet am saddened, not shocked, that some of the people living in this small town wanted to exclude the two Islamic American girls. The greatness of America is our diversity, our ability to accept anyone into this country and to forget that is to forget what being an American is: anyone can be an American. It is not a race, not an ethnicity but an ideal of individual freedom and equality.
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Inspired and beautiful way to start a dialogue. Wish we could do the same in our town
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@Susan Hutton
With all due respect, Ms. Hutton, what's stopping you?
2
There were a number of things about the article that bothered me. But if you go into the grocery and you feel like you don't recognize a lot of the people - try saying hello. I do it all the time - on my street where I live, walking downtown, in the store. I have interesting conversations all the time. Some of these people I might run into again, some perhaps never. But I never feel like a stranger and I hope they don't either.
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@Sharon
Ignorance and fear make people stupid, too
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@Sharon: Great response!
This (formerly) New York City boy routinely talked to people while waiting on line in the grocery store, on the bus or subway, and in cafes.
In many ways, NYC is a huge collection of small towns.
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@Sharon - I do it all the time and you are so right. I live in a small No. GA town and yes it's predominantly white. But I've had some of the most delightful conversations with strangers of all kinds, usually in a store, and have never been responded to in a rude way. I've been told how to roast tomatillos, which tortillas are best for different dishes, laughed and commiserated about hair care products with a lovely black lady bout my age (older), have been given advice about curries from a middle eastern gentleman who was genuinely eager to share his knowledge, the list goes on. I've found that a simple smile can speak volumes. It has the added value of making me feel good too.
8
This is a wonderful example of how art can begin a healthy dialogue. It's also an excellent study in human reaction to the unexpected; I think it's safe to say it's not often that an art exhibit is the impetus behind a small town discussion.
The piece also causes me to reflect on how extensively our thoughts, opinions and outlook are largely shaped from our own limited experiences and mental projections. The story touches on this in describing how its residents have their own ideas of what their hometown "is" and "isn't." Fascinating stuff.
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