Racism Is a Sickness: Revisiting Image, Memory, and Message is a commemorative monograph rooted in the original 2015 Philadelphia-based art and community engagement project Racism Is a Sickness, sparked by the viral video of Dajerria Becton’s brutalization by a McKinney, Texas police officer.
At its center are the original color portraits of 14 individuals who courageously allowed themselves to be seen and heard during a moment of national and local unrest.
In 2016, the portraits were installed at The Art Church of West Philadelphia, the Community College of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Ethical Society—each site offering a unique approach to audience interaction through wall text, ephemera, and participatory elements.
This monograph is not an update or retrospective in the traditional sense. Instead, it is a return. Through high-resolution reproductions, installation documentation, and a re-engagement with the project’s original visual language, this publication serves as an archival offering—honoring what was seen, said, and felt at the time.
It is not a book about change. It is a book about what was true, what was named, and what still matters.
Drafting / Early Creation Stage. Manuscript and image selection are in progress, focused on carefully curating the original portraits and installation documentation from 2015–2016. Next steps include continuing image curation, drafting contextual text, and ensuring the visual and emotional integrity of the original project.
Tieshka Smith is a Philadelphia-based photographer, author, and teaching artist whose work explores voice, memory, and visibility through image and story. A former nonprofit project manager, she has spent the last decade creating community-rooted projects that challenge assumptions and celebrate overlooked moments. Her debut book, *Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022)*, was published in 2025.
ISBN: 979-8-90046-588-3 (paperback)
Email [email protected]
Text 267-362-9535