In my 2018 durational performance piece "I Got You," I use the imagery of a black male embrace on a white pedestal as a protest and radical statement, inspired by the removal of Confederate monuments. This work reflects on the intersection of symbols, the black form, and a pedestal in a white space, meditating on American history, colonized spaces, and blackness. It serves as a cathartic experience for myself and other black queer individuals, highlighting our vulnerability and hypervisibility. The performance is a call to action, inviting audiences to question and challenge oppressive societal structures. By placing black bodies on the pedestal, I reclaim it as a symbol of power and emphasize the ongoing fight for equality and representation in spaces not meant for us.

This performance piece contemplates my queer journey, drawing parallels to the transformative process of a butterfly. Within the artistic expression, I strive to transcend the confines of the sheer stocking, symbolizing a butterfly's cocoon, through fluid movements that embody both resistance and growth.