Belonging

What happens when the way you perceive yourself isn’t the way society sees you? Tonika Lewis Johnson explores this seismic shift in her BELONGING project, which captures the stories of eight Black and one Latinx youth from Chicago. Their realizations embody both trauma and a transformative rite of passage, shaping their perspectives on justice, politics, and interactions with authority in ways that resonate with countless young individuals.

The BELONGING audio interviews shine a light on this reality, sharing firsthand experiences. Paired with portraits taken at the locations where they felt misunderstood and unwelcome, these images vividly capture the essence of each young person’s journey.

While these portraits reveal a stark reality of hierarchy, surveillance, entitlement, and narrow-mindedness, this isn’t a story of defeat. With creative agency, young people of color defy the politics of racism, exclusion, and containment. They carve out their own “free spaces”—places where they can express themselves freely, untouched by judgment or sanctions.

The Stories

Estrella, 16 | Her family was pushed out of their Logan Square home due to gentrification and skyrocketing rents. When she and her family returned for a visit, she was made to feel like an intruder because her family was having an animated conversation outdoors.

Jason, 18 | When he was 12 years-old white mothers would not allow their children at a playground in Hyde Park to play with him and his brother, the only two Black children on the playground.

Lauren, 18 | She and her younger sister were in a Korean supermarket, H-Mart, in the West Loop when they were questioned by the security officer for no apparent reason other than that they may have looked ‘out of place.’

Nyjah, 17 | She was pulled over by the police on a side street a block away from her home in Englewood for not having a license plate light. It was apparent the officer viewed her with suspicion even though her “offense” was extremely minor.

Sajjad, 17 | When he was 15 years-old he was standing at a bus stop near his home in the Lakeview neighborhood. An older white woman demonstrated through her body language that she was obviously afraid of him and wanted to keep her distance.

Solomon, 16 | He was walking down the street in Hyde Park, when a white woman walking in the opposite direction visibly clutched her purse as if he was going to snatch it.

Tesher, 18 | He was stopped and questioned for no apparent reason upon entering the Urban Outfitters clothing store on State Street in downtown Chicago. White patrons were not detained.

Virtual Exhibit

On September 9, 2020, the University of Illinois in Chicago’s Social Justice Initiative marked the online exhibition opening of Tonika’s latest project. This virtual debut included insightful conversations between Tonika, SJI Associate Director Essence McDowell, and Taylore from the youth organization GoodKids MadCity. Opening remarks by SJI Director Dr. Barbara Ransby set the tone.

Physical Exhibit

The physical exhibit found its place at the Social Justice Initiative’s Chicago Justice Gallery—an invaluable non-commercial arts space dedicated to supporting social justice artists, education, and arts activism through exhibitions and public events.