All Abstracts

30 Years of Scholarship: A Time Series of Spelman Research DataAs Spelman Research Day celebrates its 30th year, the members of the D.O.P.E. Arts collective have curated a mural that serves as an interactive and artistic data visualization highlighting the scholarship and contributions of our commun...

This research presentation situates the concept of homoertoic racism within the sports documentary genre in order to demonstrate its impact in the representation of the black male athlete. The increase in sports documentaries on streaming platforms, such as Netflix, demonstrates the seemingly unlimi...

 Silent suffering is a never-ending epidemic that haunts societies across the world today. These mental health issues are often ignored and/ or trivialized. I refer to what can be known as silent diseases. They are the mental diseases with no easily diagnosable symptoms. Anxiety, depression, an...

The purpose of my research is to persuade the audience that the art of suspense is vital to any film. This would be of interest to the reader, because films are something that the majority of people have access to or have seen at least once in their lifetime.   My hypothesis is that the execution,...

This paper seeks explore what happens when the activity of sewing is infused with a love for painting and design. Through fashion design, with a concentration in tailor-made bodysuits, I invite the investigation and exploration of self-expression, materialistic ingenuity and perception as it relates...

“A space can bear the imprint of its inhabitants even in their absence. An object can personify an individual even more than his or her portrait.” -María Magdalena Campos-Pons      María Magdalena Campos-Pons’ Spoken Softly with Mama elucidates the entanglement of identity performance ...

My body of work speaks about culture, economic status, and racial issues. I have incorporated stereotypical imagery of African Americans in the United States history and some of the unhealthy, and the popular lifestyles encouraged through the media that affect the Black community. I have created par...

As a Christian, I am part of the more than 84 percent of the world that identifies with a faith-based or religious group. Faith is powerful. It carries us through our crushing moments and supports us in our greatest triumphs. While faith can manifest through a myriad of customs, prayer stands out as...

I use photography to lure observers in a dialogue with themselves where they're encouraged to re-evaluate their ideas on identity. I work toward challenging the stereotypes that affect various identities, and suggesting new ways of seeing and thinking that go beyond societal norms. Being that I, too...

My work focuses on cultural capital, beauty, and possession in the black community. I saw a parallel between the Instagram posts of young black couples and Renaissance portraits and used both to inform my work. During the Renaissance, marriage was centered around the family, with little connection t...

  Colorism is defined as social, financial, and political preference based on skin color. Some African Americans could pass for white and would denounce their race in order to fit in with their oppressors. Racism is more than just white or black. The discrimination of darker skin tones exists withi...

“Madonna”, is a cinematographic photo series that follows the story of two young adults, Madonna and Kiddo, and explores three major institutions in our society that were supposedly put in place to help us function as a union - education, capitalism, and religion - but sometimes miss the mark. T...