Reflecting on The Forgotten: A Call for Truth, Equity, and Progress in Education

Reflecting on my artwork is an essential practice, offering opportunities to uncover hidden gems that provoke introspection—not just about my journey as an artist, but also about past and current events. Through its dark and complex imagery, The Forgotten, a painting I created in 2011 while teaching at a Title 1 school in Pennsylvania, captures my frustrations with the systemic inequities I witnessed and personally experienced as an educator. It embodies an internal dialogue I struggled to express verbally.

For years, I hesitated to share The Forgotten. Prior to publishing my first anthology, The Outpour: An Anthology of Emotion, a college friend expressed concern about the importance of spreading light through my art rather than darkness. At the time, I resisted this notion, standing firm in my belief that expression should exist for its own sake. Yet, when I created The Forgotten, those concerns resurfaced. I worried that sharing the painting might amplify despair rather than hope.

But as I reflect on the climate we live in today, I now see the power in acknowledging darkness. Light cannot exist without it, and confronting the darkness often gives us the courage to create meaningful change. With this in mind, I share The Forgotten proudly, believing its message is more relevant today than it was when I painted it.

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The painting’s imagery is haunting and symbolic. An abandoned school with shattered windows sits isolated on an island, a stark reminder of systemic neglect. Beneath the island, five figures—male and female—float in the shadows, one with red bat wings. These figures represent the unseen and overlooked lives impacted by systemic failure.

In the foreground stands a commanding red woman with red and purple angel wings, horns on her head, and a mischievous smile. She holds her tail in one hand. Is she a protector, a bystander, a participant in the system’s dysfunction—or all of the above?

Before the decrepit school, six faceless blue children in tattered clothing stand in eerie silence, symbolizing the countless students failed by a system that disregards their needs. Atop the school crouches a man with red and orange angel wings, his head bowed to his knees in despair. Behind him, the flagpole flies an orange, black, and green American flag, similar to the famous work by David Hammons (1990), at half-mast—a somber acknowledgment of a system in mourning.

The tone is dark and brooding, but the painting’s message is clear: it critiques the systemic neglect in education and challenges us to confront the inequities perpetuated by the status quo.

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At its core, The Forgotten is a call to confront the truths we often avoid—about education, systemic inequity, and the stories we tell our children. The history taught in many schools is often incomplete, sanitizing the past and omitting the realities of systemic oppression, racial injustice, and cultural erasure. This incomplete narrative deprives students of the full scope of their cultural environments and prevents them from understanding the complexities of the world they live in.

Teaching true history, including its failures and triumphs, is essential to fostering empathy, critical thinking, and informed citizenship. As Maria Montessori famously said, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” When students understand the full context of their world, they are better equipped to challenge injustice and advocate for change.

While The Forgotten highlights systemic failures, it also speaks to the economic burdens placed on educators. Teachers often use their own limited resources to compensate for the lack of funding for supplies, technology, and enrichment programs. This economic reality reflects a larger societal issue: the devaluation of education and the people who dedicate their lives to it.

The crouched man atop the school represents these educators—overworked, underpaid, and burdened by a system that too often fails to support them. His fiery wings symbolize both his quiet resilience and the emotional toll of carrying this weight.

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The themes explored in The Forgotten resonate deeply in today’s social and political climate. Schools continue to face funding disparities. Teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers due to low pay, lack of resources, and burnout. Meanwhile, debates rage over what history should be taught in schools, with some states attempting to suppress discussions of systemic racism and cultural diversity.

By sharing The Forgotten, I hope to spark conversations about these pressing issues. The painting serves as a visual reminder that ignoring systemic inequities only perpetuates them, as we are seeing in real time. Addressing these challenges requires the courage to acknowledge uncomfortable truths and take actionable steps toward change. It urges us to demand equitable funding for schools, advocate for fair wages for teachers, and push for curricula that teach the full, complex history; write letters to political officials, attend school board meetings, and participate in organizations already fighting for these changes. Donating time and resources to schools and voting for policies that support equity in education are also crucial steps. Taking these actions collectively can create an education system that values every child, uplifts every teacher, and acknowledges the truth of our shared history. Supporting students and teachers is a step toward realizing this transformative power.

As Elaine Brooks wisely noted, “The power of education is to enable individuals to think clearly, live with purpose, and serve others with wisdom.”

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In sharing The Forgotten, I hope to inspire reflection and conversation. This painting reminds us that the struggles of students and teachers are interconnected and a puzzle piece to a more equitable future.

Light cannot exist without darkness, but it is our responsibility to ensure that the light shines brighter. Let The Forgotten serve as a reminder of the work that remains to be done and a call to build an education system that values every child, uplifts every teacher, and tells every story. The people united can never be defeated.

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