illustration inspired by the Eric Garner protests in New York City, Dec 4, 2014. the center character is inspired by three different images: two protestors I saw marching, and one photograph I saw where a guy lead a group of people down the west side highway. there were helicopters, police vans glowing and sirens all around, such beautiful but potent light and angry, impassioned people. everyone marched together, but had their own personal reasons for being there.

i was on the front lines of the Eric Garner protest in Times Square, NYC the other night, because i wanted to see the issues first hand and not be mislead by the media about what happened there. this drawing is inspired by what i saw. it was amazing to see so many troves of people: black, hispanic, white, asian, all sorts, marching in unison to the beat of a drum like a small army, marching in the streets, stopping traffic. cars honked at us in support, mostly cab drivers of color bussing around white men in business suits and scared white tourists.

i was there in support not of the two isolated incidents that are in the spotlight right now, but to support the demand to end racial profiling. racism starts in childhood, and we need to stop that cycle of hate now. teach kids from a young age to respect each other, and have self respect. then they won’t grow up feeling justified in acting a certain way just because of their skin color– and it goes both ways, too.

if everyone around you tells you you’re a dumbass that won’t amount to anything, then guess what? it’s going to be hella hard to succeed. only the strongest survive that kind of upbringing to become their best selves despite everyone’s expectations. if that sort of feat wasn’t extraordinary, then we wouldn’t make movies all the time about the underdogs.

and if you grow up being told by your parents, the media, your teachers that you’re inherently superior and that your peers are inherently inferior, then guess what? you’re going to have a hard time seeing past “otherness” and treating everyone as equals. and it’s not your fault that this reality was thrust upon you, but that makes it 10x more important for you to be aware and break the cycle with your kids.

so i lost a bunch of youtube followers when i posted video of what i saw there. but that’s because they are blinded by what the media tells them– the issue is much bigger than any single person’s life. we have to break the cycle because we can all benefit from a world where everyone is encouraged to be their best selves.