Justice is Blind Swayed

Justice is Blind Swayed

By Jamilah Araf

In light of recent events, we can no longer say justice is blind. Justice, like the rest of our government, is biased and bought. Lady Justice has opened her eyes and we should, too.

Process

Lately, the news has been crazy. School shootings, the “Don’t Say Gay bill,” and of course the threat of overturning Roe v. Wade. Like many families who watch the news together, one simple broadcast led to a long and riveting discussion on not only abortion, but justice. I finished the discussion with the simple statement that justice is not fair and is not blind in this country, even though we pretend it is. This simple late-night talk led to the first draft of my multimedia piece, although I didn’t realize it at the time. My conversation had taken me back to a painting I had seen a year prior on Roosevelt Island, a gorgeous painting of Lady Justice and Lady Liberty taking a selfie. That is the ideal in this country, but it’s not the truth. Like all my projects, this one racked my brain until the multimedia submission came up. Using pencil and paper, I came up with the first sketch: Lady Justice peeking from her blindfold, wearing a MAGA hat and a Biden/Harris t-shirt. Inspired by the theme of my TikTok submission, and social media, I decided to use the glitch effect to emphasize the issue.