Danielle
Danielle reached out to me after seeing Amber’s post. She was excited about the opportunity to share her story and her art with more people, so we set up a time to shoot. I met Danielle at her apartment in Hollywood, a neighborhood nestled between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose, just west of Vine. A slew of apartments and condos have gone up in the area, and I was surprised to see all the new developments. Danielle, a recent Chicago transplant, wasn’t too familiar with what the neighborhood looked like before, but she did have some favorite locations she wanted to possibly shoot in front of. In particular, the Hollywood landmark: Vine America Party Store, a place I was familiar with from my days as a production assistant, when I would be dispatched to the business to purchase all manner of items for last-minute set decorations and lighting. After getting some fun shots there, we went up to Danielle’s apartment, where she showed me some of her collage work. The people I photograph all have very degrees of comfort in front of the camera. Having a lens fixed on you can be uncomfortable and weird. Danielle may not have been super comfortable being photographed by a stranger, but as you can see, a strong spirit and a fun personality will always show through the discomfort of posing for a camera. These are some of my favorite PartBlack Project photos, and all the thanks to Danielle for possessing the bravery to share her life.
Q: Do you identify as Black? White? Mixed? Something else? Please describe your ethnic/cultural background.
A: I identify as Mixed. Growing up I was referred to as Bi-Racial. My Mother is Black American, and my Father is Caucasian. My Father has some traces of Italian, Lebanese, Irish and Norwegian descent.
Q: What are you most passionate about or interested in?
A: I am most passionate about collages, film/ television, media and mixed media!
Q: Who are some PartBlack people that have inspired you?
A: Growing up the only person I really knew that was PartBlack was Alicia Keys. When I was younger, I use to play the piano and she was someone who inspired me.
Q: Which public figure, of any ethnicity, has had the greatest influence on your life? (This can be an artist, scientist, musician, filmmaker, philosopher, athlete, politician, writer -- anyone.)
A: A public figure that has had the greatest influence on my life would be writers in the Transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson, is one of my all-time favorites and David Thoreau. Also, French philosopher Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy struck a chord with me as well. I low-key want to say Jesus, but that’s an on-going relationship.
Q: Are there other PartBlack people in your life, and/or how do you feel when you meet another person who is PartBlack?
A: There aren’t a ton of PartBlack people in my life, but when I do meet another person who is PartBlack I feel a sense of familial. As if we had the same up bringing. It makes me feel happy and safe at the same time that we’re both able to relate to each other's multi-cultural background.
Q: What are your feelings on the N-Word? Do you use it?
A: My feelings on the N-word, I absolutely loathe. It makes me want to cringe. Dave Chappelle did a great stand-up special where he talks about this and how gays don’t call each other the F-word. I do not use it, I think I said it once in my life, but it didn’t feel right so I don’t use it.
Q: Growing up, do you feel that you experienced unique challenges being PartBlack?
A: Growing up I’ve definitely experienced unique challenges being PartBlack. I grew up in a very liberal town near Chicago and there were tons of kids of other ethnicities. I had friends who were Mexican, Indian, black, white, Jewish...I mean kids who had two moms, it was a very progressive place. But was truly unique, was there wasn’t a lot of interracial kids. I remember going to school and this boy (who was black) asked me what I was? And I was terrified that I didn’t know the answer. I felt like I’d been raped of my identity, because I never saw my parents as two different races, I just thought one was darker than the other. I remember crying because it hit me that I didn’t see a family in town like ours and I began to feel ashamed, but also very proud that I was unique!
Q: Have you ever felt that your life would be easier if you were just one ethnicity?
A: Absolutely. I don’t think life is “easy” for anyone, it takes a lot of self-reflection and navigating in a ever-changing world. However, the system that we live in does award those that identify and present themselves as white. So, I do think that if I was just one ethnicity (white) I would have taken a different path completely. My struggle with how I see myself and where I “fit” in would have been erased.
Q: What has been the most annoying or frustrating thing about being PartBlack?
A: The most annoying or frustrating thing about being PartBlack is that, when I meet other people of color, I almost feel as if I’m immediately judged and not accepted, because of the way I talk, or the way I wear my hair. I feel like a traitor or someone that can’t necessarily get along with the black community, because I am PartWhite.
Q: What is your funniest or fondest memory that involves your ethnicity?
A: During my first communion we had a huge party at my house. It was funny and my fondest memory because I had my Father’s side over along with my Mother’s side over and it was truly special seeing them interacting with one another. I felt like I could breathe. I also saw a lot of my personality shine through from both sides. It was a special moment.