Law, Race, and Design: Examining the St. Louis Story
december 2019 | illustration created for washington university in st. louis’s beyond boundaries program
Process
When Andy Kim at Lovewell asked me if I would be interested in creating an illustration for a new class within Beyond Boundaries Program, I was excited about the prospect of being able to work with Wash U to promote interdisciplinary courses. During my time at Washington University, I was to take courses in many different schools and each class both in and out of my major meaningfully contributed to my overall education. This project personally spoke to me because while I was working on the illustration I was in the process of applying to law schools. I believe that allowing students to explore the intersection of different areas of study can lead them to realize their true potential and expand their horizons within their own major.
I approached the illustration by reading through the syllabus and finding a common theme between the topics discussed. One thing that stood out to me was the number of influential people who either started their journey in St. Louis or had an impact on the path of the judicial system in St. Louis. I chose to focus primarily on the people who made St. Louis the city it is today as a reminder of the potential impact one voice can have, and the strength that can come when those voices band together.
As I looked into compelling layouts I considered creating a pattern out of the faces of St. Louis, but decided to go another direction because a page of seemingly disparate faces did not embody the legacy and story of St. Louis. In the end, I illustrated the timeline of St. Louis by creating a queue of people - referencing not only the linear nature of a timeline but also the many political marches that took place in the city and throughout the country. I also chose to include the school bus as an homage to the desegregation of buses and schools, as well as the St. Louis courthouse, built in the 1800s and the location of many of the trials discussed in Bear Bridge: Law, Race, and Design: Examining the St. Louis Story.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Lovewell and Washington University in St. Louis to create this illustration, and I look forward to seeing what comes of this class and the others in the Beyond Boundaries Program.
