"Roots: A Reclamation" - KCAI Black Student Union Explores Identity, History, and Uncertainty
02.13.2025
Coinciding with the start of Black History Month, Roots: A Reclamation is an exhibition featuring current members of the Kansas City Art Institute’s Black Student Union.
The exhibition runs from February 7, 2025 - March 28, 2025 in the Leedy Underground Gallery I at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center.
As the title suggests, each artist explores "Roots" as a metaphor for unpacking and reclaiming both collective and individual relationships with Black identity. Themes such as alienation within the community, storytelling/oral histories, confronting injustices, music, and Black excellence all converge under the umbrella of this showcase.
Through a diverse body of works, exhibition organizers ask viewers to “look deeper into all the universes that make up a community and how each story represents a voice within a chorus of voices that make up the black experience.”
Several First Year Foundation students shared insights into their work in the exhibition, explaining the sources of inspiration behind their pieces, from personal experiences the artistic process.
Art of Hair
“I wanted to bring in a nature element because when you think of ‘roots,’ you think of nature. I chose a green theme to represent trees. Also, when you look at Black people’s hair, it resembles the way tree leaves fall. So, I wanted to incorporate that connection,” says Veronica Parks, a First Year Foundation student interested in Photography.
Parks stands in front of her artwork, which incorporates wooden beads on a canvas covered with acrylic paint. She explains that she used standard yarn to make each pompom by hand—something she says she’d avoid doing again. “It took absolutely forever.” she adds.
“Doing Black hair is definitely an art. I was thinking about how difficult it can be. When you wake up in the morning, you can’t just roll out of bed and go about your day. You have to put something in your hair or style it,” she says.
"I wanted to bring in a nature element because when you think of ‘roots,’ you think of nature."
“It was the same process for this piece—gluing everything down, using the yarn. I was reminded of the time I spent doing my own hair as a kid and learning how to do it. It was a challenge, but I’m really happy with how it turned out,” Parks says.
When the members of the KCAI Black Student Union were discussing the theme for this exhibition, it was a collaborative process. However, Parks says she, along with fellow student Shawn Roundtree, suggested the word "roots."
Parks explains that growing up, hair was a significant part of her life. With a Black mother and a White father, hair became something they focused on. "We would always do our hair," she says, "and I wanted to incorporate that into my artwork," which features different hairstyles, including a woman in the center with beads and braids.
Image: Artwork by Veronica Parks
Roots and Shadows
For Sean Roundtree, another First Year Foundation student, his artwork in the exhibition is a product working and reworking. After going through several iterations, he found his way to a piece inspired by the Baroque period of art. "I really wanted to experiment with that style," Roundtree explains. “I had a lot of paintings I was going to use, but I kept redoing it because I didn’t like how it turned out."
While he says his portrait isn't based on any one individual, Roundtree’s process was guided by his interest in nature. "I wasn’t really thinking about anything too specific," he admits, "but I was thinking about shadows and the color green. When I think of roots, I think of nature, so I wanted to incorporate green into it. I felt like it went with the theme."
Speaking more broadly, he says, “I’ve been really thinking about connecting with my roots. Moving to a completely different city has made me reflect on that. I still want to keep that part of me connected.”
"Moving to a completely different city has made me reflect on that. I still want to keep that part of me connected.”
Painting the Discomfort
For First Year Foundation student Arie Tobias, the exhibition's prompt touches on a sensitive topic—the question of knowing where you're from beyond being a Black American. “This idea is something that in my family is very much seen as taboo,” she says.
One of her paintings depicts a colorful living room—yellow walls, red furniture, and blue carpet—where relatives are shown in shades of purple, all gazing at the viewer.
“This was the first piece I did, and I wanted to give an uncomfortable feeling with all the eyes on you, because that’s how I feel—like all eyes are on me, expecting me to know where I’m from when my family doesn’t even know. All of my history starts with my family, so that’s really all my knowledge of my heritage and roots,” she says.
"That’s how I feel—like all eyes are on me, expecting me to know where I’m from when my family doesn’t even know."
"...always been on my mind..."
Tobias is originally from St. Louis, Missouri—specifically Spanish Lake. She says she rarely encountered other ethnicities until moving to Kansas City. Reflecting on this, she realized how uncomfortable she feels in settings with people who seem to know so much about where they’re from.
“For example, I went thrifting with my friends once, and we went to a West African store. All the pieces in there were beautiful, and I wanted to buy some, but I didn’t have the money at the time. But it was just like, ‘Wow, I could’ve really been more a part of this than I am.’ It always feels like I’m missing out on something, and that’s how I’ve always felt,” she says.
“But at the same time, I’m still proud of who I am. It’s just something that’s always been on my mind since I was a child.”