Rise Up

Rise Up, 2021 - a play on words: the high rises and ongoing development (a physical manifestation of gentrification/settler environmentalism) vs the resilience of a community rising up against structures of racism and white supremacy. Because of the pandemic(s) of 2020s - viral and racial - the usually bustling streets of Oakland Chinatown (CA) were quiet and mostly empty. While historical and community establishments remained close and - seemingly - lifeless, new buidlings arose like cancer - developers exploiting Land and its communities in their moment of vulnerability. And yet, Oakland and its communities continue to find a way to survive and persist.