Show Us Who You Are

Discover and share individual identities and create community connections through art and story telling.

Purpose

Show Us Who You Are uses art and storytelling as students deepen their understanding of humanity and build understanding and connections that foster work for the common good. This project is a valuable interdisciplinary resource to bring explorations of history, identity, and social justice to the school curriculum.

 

With guidance from AWTT founding artist Robert Shetterly’s video “How to Draw a Portrait” students will create art featuring their own identity, the identity of a community truth teller, or the identity of a member of a marginalized community.  Following the Narrative Writing Guidelines, they will write companion narratives about an event, person, and/or belief that guided them or their featured portrait subject. 

 

AWTT encourages displaying these stories and art in public locations, e.g. libraries, community centers, coffee shops, to foster knowledge and understanding of the human condition and to help bridge identities and issues that divide our communities and world. 

Show US Who You Are aims to inspire honest participation in the ongoing conversation about how good, and great, America can be if we all take an active part in creating awareness and understanding.

Learn more on how other communities have done this

Introduction

The storytelling portion of Show US Who You Are is an integral part of the art. Reflections often come from who we are, how we perceive the world, how we think of ourselves — the parts that we love about ourselves and the parts we want to change. You may wish to complete this part first and let the thoughts, ideas, events inform the image you create with your art.

Goals:

  • Students will understand the different elements that shape one’s identity and how to express it through art and storytelling.
  • Students will identify characteristics that allowed AWTT portrait subjects to use their strengths to support community concerns and foster connections that support the common good.

Become familiar with Americans Who Tell the Truth portraits by completing the Lesson Plan: “Who Are the Portrait Subjects?”

Before you write the narrative, complete the following:

A.) Read the selection “Little Things Are Big” by Jesús Colón (From Facing History and Ourselves)

B.) Talk about the “real” and “assigned” identities of Jesus Colon.

  • List adjectives that describe his “real” identity – how he views himself
  • List adjectives that describe his “assigned” identity – how others view him
  • Talk about the differences and why those may exist

C.) Ask students to do the same for themselves: 

  • Three words they would use to describe themselves —e.g. creative, athletic, shy
  • Three words that someone else may use to describe them — e.g. weird, friendly, artistic


D.) Ask students to share their lists. 

E.) Discuss what makes these two lists different and how they can become closer to the same list, e.g. change behaviors, openly address misunderstandings, talk about stereotype

Select the Show Us Who You Are option you plan to complete and proceed to that section:

  • Self-portrait and Narrative
  • Portrait of Community Truth Teller and Narrative
  • Portrait of an Individual from Marginalized Community and Narrative

Project Options

1.) Self-Portrait & Narrative

Before you share your story, complete the following exercises:

Describe something you want people to know about you:

Something that isn’t apparent from just meeting you, e.g. something you are passionate about or something the you have experienced that shapes the way you live your life.

A behavior that none but those closest to you would see.

Let yourself be vulnerable:

Write about a feeling, thought, idea that you have never shared with anyone. Take a few moments to think, travel to your inner thoughts and feelings. Be willing to take risks and let yourself be vulnerable. 

Share any or all of the above if you are comfortable doing so.

Keeping in mind that cultural diversity includes, but is not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical and mental ability, language, education, occupation, national origin, etc., respond to the following questions:

  1. If I had to describe myself in terms of my heritage, background, ethnicity, etc. in four words I would say I am:
  • _____________________
  • –––––––––––––––––––––
  • –––––––––––––––––––––
  • –––––––––––––––––––––
  1. One experience that I have had that has helped me to form this description of myself was:

____________________________________________________________________

  1. One thing I learn about being a ____________.___________.____________. ___________ 

that makes me feel proud or good is: ________________________________________

  1. One thing about being a_______________, ________________, ________________, ___________________  that is sometimes difficult or embarrassing is: __________________________________________________________________________


Worksheet taken from “A Campus of Difference”.
Participant Workbook for the University of Minnesota-Morris. Copyright 2002 Anti-Defamation League. A World of Difference Institute.

How did you get to be who you are today?  What concerns you? What is important to you? Narratives accompanying portraits may reflect any of the following:

  • reflections about personal qualities, moments, or stages of your life
  • reflections about passions you have and issues that concern you
  • reflections about the critical events, people, thoughts that have shaped you into the wonderful human being you are at this moment. 


Confine your thoughts to one or two critical events, ideas, issues, or beliefs. Go deep and write from your heart. 

Examples:

  • Seeing what is happening to our Earth concerns me. The most important thing that I have learned about Climate Change is that it could change the world in profound, unsettling ways, and it has to be slowed. Seeing others taking action made me feel inspired to do more than just read information about climate change. I never used to think that I did anything bad, but now I know I do. I have started to think before I throw something out. Maybe it can be recycled? I also walk to school most days, so I don’t put fumes into the air from the car. We are the generation tasked with making our world a better place by cleaning up pollution, reducing our carbon footprint and finding sustainable ways to do this. We must ask ourselves what we can do to make changes and inspire others to take actions that will sustain the Earth and all life for future generations? We are a Global Community and if we don’t act soon, we could cross the line of no return. 
  • An important part of my identity is my Native culture.  From the first time I won Little Miss Sipayik to the present time of dancing at socials and powwows.  A huge inspiration and shaper of the Native side of my identity is my mother. She has always taught me how to feel proud of my culture.  She always taught me the sacredness and beauty of my Native American heritage.  My dad also helped with this by teaching me the songs and common prayers of my people.
  • I am afraid of being different. I am afraid of being the same. When I walk down the halls I want to be someone special, not just a girl going to class. I want to be seen. At the same time I try to hide. I choose not to make myself vulnerable. I am afraid of my ignorance. When I should be asking questions or adding to answers I stay quiet.  I hate being unsure of myself. I have to know things. I envy confidence. I have some, but not more than your average person. Not enough. I bother myself.

2.) Community Truth Teller Portrait & Narrative

Complete Lesson Plan: “What are Truth Teller Characteristics”?

NB: Do all but this part of the lesson: “Use the creative arts to present this person to the class, school, or community, e.g. portrait, piece of music, spoken word, collage, dramatic piece.” This “Show Us” step is covered by the instructions below. 

Complete the following prompts:

  • Describe something you want people to know about your truth teller – Something that isn’t apparent from just meeting this person.  It could be something they are passionate about or something that has happened to them that shapes the way they live life or a behavior that none but those closest to them might see.
  • Something they would like to change about their community is…
  • Something they would like to change about the world is…

Writing the Narrative for your chosen Truth Teller:

How did this person get to be who they are today?  What concerns them? What is important to them? Narratives accompanying portraits may reflect any of the following:

  • reflections about personal qualities, moments, or stages of their life
  • reflections about passions they have and issues that concern them
  • reflections about the critical events, people, thoughts that have shaped them 

into the wonderful human being they are. 

Suggestions for writing:

Tell a story: Be specific. …ground your story in the events of the truth teller’s life.  The story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it 

should be real. Consider moments when your truth teller was tested or changed. 

Be brief: Your narrative should be one to two pages and focus on the events and qualities that are central to your truth teller’s life.

(from This I Believe, The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman in association with NPR, Holt Paperbacks, 2007.)

3.) Member of a Marginalized Community Portrait & Narrative*

View the ways the creative arts builds connections and understanding:

  • Connect to an organization serving a marginalized or vulnerable population in your community, e.g. unhoused, differently abled, people of color, senior citizens, LGBTQIA+ people.
  • Through research and discussions, build an initial understanding of why this population is marginalized
  • Find a place and time where you can connect three times with representatives of this population 
    • Consider the following prompts that you both will share for your first conversation:
      • What makes you happy? What makes you sad?
      • What is something no one would guess about you?
      • What is something you like about yourself? Something you don’t like about yourself?

*Marginalized communities, peoples or populations are groups and communities that experience discrimination and exclusion (social, political and economic) because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social and cultural dimensions (National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health.

Watch video – Understanding Marginalization: What do Marginalized groups, and people mean?

Learn More About Hosting a Portrait Exhibit or Community Event

We are here to help. Contact us to learn more about using AWTT portraits and how you can inspire your local communities.

Bring Americans Who Tell the Truth (AWTT) original portraits to your community.