As we immersed ourselves into the meaningful workshops of social justice week, some interesting art appeared quietly on the walls of the cafeteria que, near the lobby of Mattison. These pieces form “A Moving Story,” a collection created by a group of wonderful artists across Kent and curated by Eyiwunmi Ajao ’21. 

The gallery project was created in January, when students and faculty were busy organizing Social Justice Week. Reflecting the concerns of Black Americans and students, the photographs and drawings included both iconic figures such as Barack Obama and members of Kent’s own student body.

The title of the exhibit, “A Moving Story,” is a dedication of the African American’s legendary stories in the land of America, where this group of people fought, and continues to fight, for their rights. The goal was to represent these stories and share them with the community through art.

Curator Ajao believes that the artists took an approach to connect history and art with the theme of social justice, binding these ideas together while creating their own ideas as well. “Art is so relatable with our history. When we create these artworks, we are not only replicating the figure or events. We are renewing this history by having this gallery. This exhibit is another history of this African American journey.”

When asked about the takeaways of the exhibit, Ajao expressed that she would like to see people taking a different perspective. “I think we neglect art in our daily lives. I would like people to reconsider art as a powerful tool for expression, in this case fighting for social justice. People have to think deep here about what type of content influences them, and I hope this gallery would make them think.”