Adrian Piper United States, born 1948
Calling cards
Offset lithographs, not dated (1985 and 1986)Here’s the second one in the series.
The card reads:
“Dear Friend,
I am black.
I am sure you did not realize this when you made/laughed at/agreed with that racist remard. In the past, I have attempted to alert white people to my racial identity in advance. Unfortunately, this invariably causes them to react to me as a pushy, manipulative, or socially innappropriate. Therefore, my policy is to assume that white people do not make these remards, even when they believe there are no black people present, and to distribute this card when they do.
I regret any discomfort my presence is causing you, just as I am sure you regret the discomfort your racism is causing me.”

