Peace Love Resistance

By: Emily Mills

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Artist Statement

There is something profoundly beautiful about solidarity. Almost anyone who has attended a rally, protest or picket-line can speak to the palpable feelings of resilience, love and hope that they ignite. These demonstrations enrich our community in immeasurable ways, whether it’s supporting and uplifting vulnerable populations, holding those in power accountable, or motivating people to use their agency to enact change. This is especially true during Covid, when people risk their health to fight for a just and inclusive society. For the last several years, I have documented our community protests, strikes and marches, and “Peace, Love, Resistance” is based on the photographs I have taken. It is admittedly difficult to encapsulate the power of these moments in a single visual piece because the most moving part of them isn’t visual. It is their vibration. That vibration is what we carry into our community after the demonstration disperses. I created “Peace, Love, Resistance” in an attempt to express that—our community vibration.