Artist Statement

This illustration focuses on the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship. That was the first year in NCAA history to feature an all black starting line-up. I started focusing on a number of incidents that reportedly took place in the game and in the stands that day. Fans were waving confederate flags, chanting horrible obscenities and to put it mildly, being despicable human beings. It became clear how much imagery was available to juxtapose against each other. There was the division of teams, the division of crowd, all while the traditional singing of the national anthem and standing together under the American flag was taking place. To think about a time where black athletes were not allowed to compete in US athletics, is as absurd as the ignorance and lack of acceptance that exists in sports today. — Henry Kaye