Williams, Mahal

My name is Mahal Williams and my pronouns are she/her. I am studying Sociology and minoring in African American Studies. I transferred from Diablo Valley College to UCLA this year, making me a first-year transfer. I am from the Bay Area and after living here for several months, I still have yet to figure out why LA people hate on the Bay.

Some academic interests of mine include critical race studies, the unjust criminal justice system, Black studies, ethnic studies, and many more sociological and historical topics. I also have interests in the fashion and  magazine industry as well as film production. Because of these diverse yet complementary interests, I hope to merge them into a career focusing on conscious entertainment, art and journalism, similar to the recent transition with Teen Vogue magazine. I love debates and taking a stand against oppressive institutions and forces and you may often find me advocating on campus for something I strongly believe in.

I was drawn to this course due to it's very obscure topic, something that is commonly erased in the everyday life. As a biracial Black and Asian American, I don't have any direct ties to Chicanx heritage and culture, but I strongly believe that this course will allow me to be in better solidarity with my fellow brown sisters by educating myself as well as introduce me to art that is constantly ignored or erased from the art narrative. I hope to connect with other students in this class as well as enjoy and indulge myself in the course curriculum. I'm extremely excited that this course will require a sketchbook and us taking the time to learn different forms of visual art using the sketchbook since I've always loved utilizing journals and sketchbooks as a form of mental health.

Linda Nochlin's "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?" highlights that lack of education in art leads to lack of visibility in that area and that saying can go for anything. For example, when viewing the disparities of education opportunities and resources for Black and Brown folks during the 19th and 20th centuries, it is explained why there is less published literature written by Black and Brown folk from those times, therefore why many classes at UCLA that don't look at contemporary writers and researches are centered around whiteness, regardless of the topic. As stated in lecture on Tuesday, only recently have Chicana artists been noted as legitimate, professional and influential artists. According to Sybil Venegas in "Conditions for Producing Chicana Art," the social and economic stability is necessary for any culture in order for artists to emerge. With the recent changes in institutions of marriage and education for the Chicana, the 1970's has marked the innovation of proper visibility. This reflects all aspects of education that lack marginalized peoples contributions in higher education and professional curriculums, yet this will begin to change very soon.