My brother, in this photo, is a college student who works the meat counter at his job. It does not stop women from clutching their purses when he goes out to restock the shelves, nor does it combat complaints such as having his hat turned backward while he steps outside for a lunch break. Complaints he can’t defend without raising his voice. A voice he cannot raise without compromising his income. A voice he cannot raise without scaring his white leadership. A power white fear wields routinely. Knowingly.

VSCO Voices is a grant program that supports creators who empower marginalized communities through art.” Each year you must channel a project through the program’s theme demonstrating a connection to art and marginalized folks. Here is a link to this year’s prompt: https://vscovoices.co/apply

My VSCO Voices application made it into the top 5% of applications. Although I did not win the grant, I consider my making it into the upper rings of applicants an honor, and I’d like to share my application with those who may be considering the grant or art-award process.

For my friend Bailey Pittenger’s birthday I am sharing one of the flash stories I’ve written based on our blended childhood memories. “We Were Visiting a Beach” was written from Bailey shared with me of a young Bailey and her cousins at a beach standing around an animal washed up on the beach. I wrote myself into that photo, and turned that photo into a narrative. This is one story in a series of flash fiction stories is told using only 500 words.