In the halls of John Marshall High School, diverse identities resonate through an extraordinary project born from collaboration. The JM Identity Project displays the power of voices, bridging the gaps between hopes, dreams, and the complexities of identity.
The JM Identity Project was started in collaboration with The Race Card Project. In 2010, Michele Norris, a journalist and author, founded The Race Card Project, where she asked people worldwide to share their experiences, questions, hopes, dreams, laments, and observations about identity – in just six words – as the starting point for conversations about race. At John Marshall, they decided to focus on overall identity.
"We first worked with Tyler Aug, a local videographer and JM alumni, to create a participation video featuring JM students & staff who were invited to participate by submitting their 6-word identity statement last spring,” said John Marshall Community Schools Site Facilitator Erin Vasquez. “Some students also included a photo, artwork, or song." JM then worked with a local graphic artist Lee Green to turn the students' photographs and six-word identity statements into digital works for art. Green had previously completed an artist residency at JM with their advanced graphic arts classes.
The JM Identity Project prints debuted in the halls of John Marshall High School this fall. Erin shared that they tried to pick a group of images and statements that showed a spectrum of identities at their school. However, they know that the work displayed does not represent the entirety of identities at JM.
Jayvionna Burke, a John Marshall student, and identity project participant, shares, "The JM Identity Project is a way to connect the people from our school by giving an insight into what the students value. This project is intended to bring more awareness to certain aspects of our school, like culture, diversity, and heritage, which I find endearing."
"It was really enlightening to see what the kids & staff shared,” said Erin. “Some things were really beautiful, some a bit heartbreaking, some really brave, some really surprising. One challenge was how to make the space safe enough for high school students to be willing to share. The final artwork is stunning. I never tire of looking at our beautiful students featured in our halls."
Jayvionna hopes this project will bring more awareness to what students value in their lives. "I hope it gives more students a way to express themselves," says Jayvionna.
As the artwork of the JM Identity Project displays on the walls of John Marshall High School, it becomes more than just an art installation. The project shows the uniqueness of each identity and binds the community together in shared experiences and understanding. The identity project provides a stream of connection among students and staff, and in turn creates a sense of belonging and support. As the project breathes life into the halls, it invites everyone to engage in the rich diversity of human experience to value and appreciate the collection of identities that shape John Marshall's community.