When the news of George Floyd’s death first broke, Grace Owen felt hurt and helpless. To navigate those feelings, the 21-year-old began to draw.
One quote felt particularly powerful to her: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
The words belong to Desmond Mpilo Tutu, a South African bishop and human rights activist. In 1984, Tutu was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts against apartheid.
Decades later, the quote continues to resonate as support of the Black Lives Matter movement grows.
Owen sketched the words out on her iPad in loopy hand-drawn lettering against different hued backgrounds. When she was finished, she showed the images to a friend. “Do you think this is good enough to post? Do I need to work on it or anything?” she asked.
On left: Los Angeles — Photo by AJ Lising / Courtesy Grace Owen
On right: Baton Rouge —Photo by Ashton Vaughn / Courtesy Grace Owen
Owen, a digital advertising and visual communication senior at LSU, had around 900 followers on Instagram at the time and wasn’t really imagining anyone other than her circle of friends would see the design.
But when she shared the graphics on May 27, they went viral almost instantly. Owen’s original post has since been shared nearly 500,000 times as of mid-June.
“There’s a lot of people on Instagram that normally wouldn’t have said anything political or made a stance because they were uncomfortable,” Owen says.
But as she scrolls through the reposts of her illustrations today, she’s seeing people express sentiments like: “We can’t just sit by and hope for something to happen. If you’re not going to speak up, then nothing’s going to change ever,” and “I’m taking a stand. I invite you to do the same.”
As brands and influencers like Kylie Jenner have shared the illustration, Owen says she’s reconciled the reality that Instagram is still heavily ruled by aesthetics with the hope that art encourages people to open their minds and rethink their actions in the real world.
“Design certainly isn’t the cure for racism, and posting something on your feed is not going to lead to overnight change. But I think it is really helpful for people to get that first push,” she says. “If they see something that inspires them and they’re called to share their thoughts, then a lot of other people will see that and think, ‘That’s someone that I really looked up to, or someone that I admire a lot.’ … It can start to change their mindset and change their hearts.”
Owen’s design has also joined a sea of social media illustrations and infographics raising awareness of actionable causes—organizations to donate to and protests to join—and navigating issues like defunding the police. It’s a virtual protest, she says.
On left: Coventry, England — Photo by Print Manufactory / Courtesy Grace Owen
On right: Los Angeles — Photo by AJ Lising / Courtesy Grace Owen
Owen says she and her friends have learned a lot over the past several weeks.
“We’re waking up to a lot of the awful things not only within the system, but also within white privilege itself and realizing that we’ve been afforded privileges that maybe we didn’t even recognize before. But now it’s something that we can be aware of.”
She has made the illustration accessible as a free download on her website for those who want to print it as a protest sign. People have held the illustration up high at marches from Brazil to England to Hawaii and Georgia.
Owen has also made prints and T-shirts featuring Tutu’s quote available for purchase in her online shop. All proceeds are donated toward causes that include the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, The Bail Project, The Loveland Foundation, SisterHearts Re-Entry Program and Liberty’s Kitchen.
She intends to make the donations indefinite—she’s behind the cause for the long haul.
“Black lives matter. Keep saying it, and say it with your whole chest,” Owen says. “Do your part, use your voice and your talents for good, and keep the momentum going. The revolution is here and now.” stuffgracemade.com
This article was originally published in the July 2020 issue of 225 Magazine.
