5 Shaun

The mural represents the lived experiences of our marginalized community. It also represents what it is to be an American and a Nebraskan. Although provocative, it conveys how the marginalized community is labeled as the ‘Other,’ placed under a microscope, and judged under preconceptions, misconceptions, and biases. The shawl draped around the arms represents the culture and diversity that marginalized people bring to enrich our community. The hands-up stance depicts a universal pose of being detained by the authorities ranging from our criminal justice system to our homeland security and immigration policies.
Overall, the mural deals with the universal theme of surrendering as a form of defiance. Collectively, we surrender to our community. We surrender to our humanity. We surrender to our discomforts. We surrender to our actions. But more importantly, the act of surrendering should not be misconstrued as a form of weakness.