Bless your heart:
a phrase common to the Southern United States. The phrase has multiple meanings and is used to express genuine sympathy but sometimes as an insult that conveys condescension, derision, or contempt. It may also be spoken as a precursor to an insult to mitigate its severity.
Growing up in North Carolina, I thought I grasped the concept of racism. Enduring derogatory names or facing judgments based on how I navigated the world. There is a fine line between prejudice and racism, and it wasn’t until I left North Carolina, and was stationed in the Gulf coast where I truly understood what that entailed.
It wasn't merely the older white woman clutching her purse as she passed by, but rather the person who overly emphasized niceness. It was being escorted out of rural bars after sunset because you have now overstayed your welcome. It was realizing the apprehension towards the brightness and intelligence of Black individuals and people of color.
Trying to understand racism is diving into a complex realm of subtleties—a spectrum far from just black-and-white. The ideology of racism didn't dissipate with the desegregation, it lingered.
Bless Your Heart unveils the intricacies of racism. Focusing past words; it's a visual representation of hatred. I want my audience to see the attempts to equalize were just as hurtful as it was devaluing.
I've linked the flags predominantly flown in the Southern United States and highlighted how they are depicted by the BIPOC community. While they may seem innocent from a non-black perspective, each flag depicted has separated from its original meaning and has ultimately traced Its lineage to hatred.
