by Madhurika Velayutha Perumal
from United States
Autherine Lucy Foster was the first African American woman to attend the University of Alabama. She excelled in education and delivered several speeches about her experience at the University of Alabama. I chose her to paint because she lived during the time of segregation, a crucial period in history. Lucy’s strength and bravery has inspired me to select her as my subject for my competition piece. She took many risks despite the discrimination and opposition that she was facing. Something I admire about Lucy is her strong sense of determination, despite the hostility and discrimination. Her willingness to give many speeches shows the strength in her. Her legacy from the University has left a huge mark and significantly impacts society.
My artwork of Lucy labels the different abilities of her. For instance, courage, resilience, and determination. She has the strength to face obstacles and to allow herself to be successful.
During the process of this art, I’ve used a variety of watercolor pencils to add clarity and value to the work. I also used watercolor paint to create a soft background and make the subject stand out. Lucy was put right in the center because she is the main subject and around her is the University of Alabama and a group of people protesting to expel her from the University. Prior to this project I did research to learn about her actions and her life. Moreover, I did a deeper dive into events she had participated in and problems she had overcome.
Autherine Lucy story will influence my actions because Lucy could overcome obstacles and having the courage within her. This influences me to stay strong and be courageous in any time of life especially during times of struggles and hardship. I hope to share this artwork with my friends and family because this artwork portrays a significant issue and a woman during the civil rights movement. In recent years, there has been an increased advocacy for representation of black voices and stories in the media. This illustrates earlier effects in the civil rights movement to ensure the acknowledgement of black experiences in society, good or bad.
