Starkville students celebrate identity, heritage with art

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Freedom Day observances are still underway in the Magnolia state.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the day of emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.

Students in Starkville have been using their talents to illustrate the end of slavery and the promise of freedom.

Director of Starkville Arts Council, Mary Switzer said art is a means of expressing identity and heritage.

“It’s a really great way to show their expression of how it feels to be African American and what Juneteenth means to them because sometimes it’s hard to talk about and just, you know in everyday conversation but when you express it in a creative way, it really just opens the doors to letting people see what’s inside of your mind,” said Switzer.

Fourth grader Nash Ewing said art helps him with his feelings because it gives an outward expression of what he feels inside.

“I like drawing because it helps me express myself and it’s just a cool thing that I like to do that helps me, like if I’m sad or anything, I can just draw and it makes me happy because people appreciate my artwork, and how hard I work on it,” said Nash Ewing.

Upcoming freshman Zanaya Ewing submitted multiple pieces, including a painting, a homemade kite, a children’s story, and a poem. She said this gallery is just what young artists who look like her, need to see.

“I think it’s really good and impacting kids, especially young kids who want to be artists themselves when they’re younger. It can help inspire them to do what they want to do the most. They see other people’s work, especially from the Black community, when they see other black people who want to do it, they want to do it too,” said Zanaya Ewing.

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