I never thought of representation as not actually representing people as a whole. It is nice to see a variety of opinions and perspectives, because a majority of reactions on representation of a race are thrilled and enthralled with any form of African American art. I fully understand the feeling that if you don’t recognize yourself in a piece of art, you are not going to enjoy it or appreciate it as much as those who do associate with it. No one should feel obligated to like something simply because they are being “represented as a race.” I have been told that I don’t have much of a say on the subject, since I am “white.” I do find it hard to relate to a lot of “white” art and media, simply because it doesn’t fit my tastes, and no one really expects me to. It is almost impossible to genuinely love everything that has been created by Caucasians, simply because there is so much representation across the board, from many different perspectives. Once there is more variety in the mediums with the different races, the easier it will be for all sorts of people to relate to the artists. Just because you are a simply a member of the same race, doesn’t mean you have to conform to the generalization and stereotype that is thrown on you. If everyone liked the same things, there would be no original creations in the world. I’m glad that this perspective exists to show that not everyone can relate to, or enjoy, a good piece of art.
