Durban - In light of Heritage Month, the US Consulate in Durban invited American multimedia artist, filmmaker and educator, Bayeté Ross Smith, for a visual art screening at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of the Arts (KZNSA).
Smith this week discussed the issue of ‘Identity and Stereotypes’, including innovative ways to tell stories, that explored both the US and SA.
He spoke to the local audience about designing thought-provoking art that challenged bias, promoted equality and fostered cohesive community acceptance.
Smith was heralded for his widely acclaimed study, ‘Our Kind of People’, which analysed stereotypes and examined how clothing, ethnicity and gender affect peoples’ ideas about identity, personality and character.
Smith conducted an experiment where one person would dress in about five different outfits and tried different hairstyles and asked people how they viewed each image (of the same person in the different attire and hairdo). He found that almost everywhere he has travelled (whether in the US or SA), black women’s natural curly hair was perceived as ‘unprofessional’, while if the same woman straightened her hair, she was perceived as ‘professional’.
“My series of images, videos, and stories create sophisticated conversations and reflections about how identity affects our daily lives. This awareness and analysis became a tool for challenging bias, facilitating education, and promoting social justice,” said Smith.
Jaclyn Cole, public affairs officer at the US Consulate in Durban, said there were a few similarities between the US and SA perceptions.
“In KZN, many recognise their heritage through Shaka Zulu, that history and tradition and culture may be their understanding of identity. This paralleled beautifully with Bayeté’s work because he addressed issues of identity and how we see each other,” said Cole.
She feels that SA and the US could learn a lot from each other.
“I think when you’re talking about diverse societies like the US and SA, we have a lot to share, through both our challenges and successes,” said Cole.
The event was attended by actress, storyteller and poet, Gcina Mhlophe. She was joined by Mathabo Kunene, social entrepreneur, women's empowerment activist and community activist, who gifted Smith a Zulu book called Unodumehlezi Kamenzi by Dr Mazisi Kunene, Mathabo’s late husband.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE