Kirk Maynard, Visual Artist
Dream Deferred is a series that focuses on the shrinking of the American Dream in the 21st century. The preamble of the US Constitution is used to define the idea of liberty and the pursuit of happiness as a hallmark of the American dream and the idea of coming to America for a better life. However, this dream is not realized for many people of color in America. This series is also inspired by the Langston Hughes poem “Harlem”, where parallels are drawn to the “dream deferred” shrinking like a “raisin in the sun”. This “shrinking” is shown through multiple forms of injustice in society, from housing discrimination to income inequality. And the “raisin in the sun” is shown through direct symbolism, flowers, and also the literal shrinking of the preamble to the US Constitution. This concept represents the gradual decline in the belief of American exceptionalism for immigrants who arrive in America and also native born people of color.