Michael Dixon: A Discussion About Race, Representation, and Biracial Identity

Scholarly perspectives on the mixed race experience.

Years passed, and the Johnstons prospered. They moved to Keene, New Hampshire, and occupied a place of professional and social esteem in their community. They never said a word about their racial background—not even to their children, who absorbed the same toxic prejudices as their white peers. One day, Albert Jr. came home spouting some racial epithet, and his father took him aside to explain that he literally didn’t know what he was talking about. The revelation shook Albert Jr. A crisis of identity followed, and led, eventually, to his arrival in [Louis] De Rochemont’s office. Up until then, the family had maintained their secret. Albert Jr.’s story, if published, would blow their cover. The family agreed to face the consequences, and let the story proceed. The Johnstons would later tell the press that their magnanimous and tolerant neighbors never cared, that the Reader’s Digest story and its subsequent adaptations had no adverse effect. The fact is, the town did convulse, and whispered slurs behind the family’s back. Albert lost his practice, and eventually moved with Thyra to Hawaii, whose racial complexity made it a more hospitable place.

David Kalat, “Lost Boundaries (1949),” Turner Classic Movies, (February 2016). http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/81854/Lost-Boundaries/articles.html.

Michael Dixon: A Discussion About Race, Representation, and Biracial Identity

Michael Dixon: A Discussion About Race, Representation, and Biracial Identity

Or Does It Explode
2016-03-14

Tasha Mathew

Michael Dixon is a California-born artist who teaches as an associate professor at Albion College and was recently awarded studio space in New York through the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program. His paintings direct us toward controversy, self-reflection, and an appreciation for the value of these experiences.

Dixon explores the personal experiences of biracial blacks, including an immersive investigation into his own experiences. As such, concepts of social psychology condense within each portrait – concepts such as social identity theory and self-categorization theory – allowing us to explore our identification with one particular group over another.

His most recent projects include Shared Histories/Turkey: an investigations into Turkish, biracial blacks and The More Things Change, The More Things Stay The Same: a reflection upon the recent killings of unarmed black men…

Read the entire interview here.

Tags: Michael Dixon, Or Does It Explode, Tasha Mathew, Turkey

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 18th, 2016 at 20:59Z and is filed under Articles, Arts, Identity Development/Psychology, Interviews, Media Archive, United States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Mixed Race Studies

Michael Dixon: A Discussion About Race, Representation, and Biracial Identity

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