Art Connects Legislators to Georgia’s Diverse Families

MEDIA ALERT

“Typical American Families” Photography Exhibit Uses Art To Connect Legislators to Georgia’s Diverse Families

Exhibit Encourages Legislators to Support the Strong Families Resolution

What: The “Typical American Families” photography exhibit highlighting the diversity of Georgia’s families to garner support for the Strong Families Resolution.

When: One day only: Friday, February 19 from 1-5 p.m.

Press event: 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Where: The Rotunda, Georgia State Capitol Building, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA 30334

Why: Through powerful visuals and storytelling, the photo exhibit features the ethnic, generational and geographic diversity of both blood and chosen families from throughout Georgia to depict their lived realities. The message for legislators is that there is no typical American family and policies must reflect the state’s diversity.

Feminist Women’s Health Center, Racial Justice Action Center and SPARK Reproductive Justice Now are asking legislators to sign on to the Strong Families Resolution (HR 746) which highlights urgent issues affecting all families and commits legislators to doing something about them. The Strong Families Resolution addresses four key areas that affect Georgia families: improving maternal and infant health by increasing access to affordable and comprehensive health care, addressing racial disparities in health outcomes, protecting all Georgia families, and helping families be productive at work and home.

“Our goal is to introduce legislators to the realities of Georgia’s “typical” families, who are more diverse and unique than our policies recognize,” affirms MK Anderson, Public Policy Associate at the Feminist Women’s Health Center. “The exhibit is an opportunity to introduce these families to our legislators through art so they will remember these stories when they are voting on issues like healthcare and the economy.”

Who: Strong Families led by Feminist Women’s Health Center, Racial Justice Action Center and SPARK Reproductive Justice Now, exhibit photographer and artist Carlton Mackey, families that participating in the photo exhibit, and legislators.

Press event speakers:

• MK Anderson – FWHC
• Kalpana Krishnamurthy – Forward Together
• Carlton Mackey – Typical American Families
• Tishana J Trainor – SPARK RJ Now Board Member
• Marilynn Winn – Racial Justice Action Center/Women on the Rise

About the Exhibit: Typical American Families was created in 2015 by artists Ross Oscar Knight and Carlton Mackey to capture stories and to explore what the definition of a family is. When they learned about the Feminist Women’s Health Center’s work and the Strong Families Resolution, they wanted to collaborate. “I believe that the concept of "family" is ever evolving in the U.S. as well as around the world,” said Knight. “I wanted to help elevate these stories in ways that can have meaningful impact on policies and these families’ daily lives.”