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Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication
School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications
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"It Could Have Been Me": The 1983 Death Of A Nyc Graffiti Artist, Erik Nielson
"It Could Have Been Me": The 1983 Death Of A Nyc Graffiti Artist, Erik Nielson
School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications
"It could have been me. It could have been me."
These were the words uttered by painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was deeply shaken after he heard the story of a black graffiti artist who was beaten to death by New York City police. Seeing his own life reflected in the death of a fellow artist, Basquiat went on to create Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart), not only to commemorate the young man's death, but also to challenge the state-sanctioned brutality that men of color could face for pursuing their art in public spaces.