Since a police officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, I have been reflecting on the patterns of violence that shape our own country.  Victims of police brutality are disproportionately indigenous or black.

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I have been installing these portraits on my lawn in Elora, and am pleased that they are now moving to a home in Fergus.  Living in a small, mostly-white community, these portraits unsettled my home.  They remind me that my comfort and status in the world is tied to larger structures, including white supremacy and violence toward people of colour.  The portraits are to honour these lives, trying to signify their full humanity.  Their display on poles also evokes the violence they suffered.  As more portraits are added, the sidewalk will be lined like a barrier, with the home implicated behind the line.

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I call this project Racism at Home.

We think racism and police brutality is an American problem, but it is central to our national story.

I can't return home without being confronted by my place in the problem.

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This project won a prize from Centre Wellington's Canada Day contest called "My Canada My Home."  Racism At Home invites us to consider hard truths that are key parts of our national story, and to become aware the personal roles we play.