The Lawsuit is the Protest

Hello. My name is Rae Pleasant and I am an African American 37yo female artist, political centrist, and self-advocate. I am also a direct descendant of the Tulsa Race Massacre 1921.

 

In 2018, I staged a lawful, multi-layer protest against the 30ft Ku Klux Klan mural at the Blanton Museum of Art on UT Austin Campus. The protest included a public plan of action, a petition with crucial critiques of the exhibition and mural, an email and social media campaign, a digitally published essay, and a live demonstration in front of the mural. I was a PhD student at UT Dallas at the time. My efforts were successful in staging a more ethical exhibition, education, and outreach plan with the curator downloading my essay, public talking points about the mural's 'intent' changing over and over, and the artist editing the inscription on the mural itself among other elements.

 

Despite this success, I was subsequently entrapped into arrest by Blanton staff and, when that attempt to silence me failed, I was falsely criminalized to police with one officer covering his body camera with his hand during my detainment. The Houston gallery that sold the mural to the museum, for a whopping $200,000 via a wealthy Jewish oil tycoon, likened me to a mass shooter on the record with police though I've never met him or been to his gallery. After the protest, I was horribly misrepresented in the press (by the artist, the museum, and reporters) or snubbed from telling the story myself. This suffocated a more balanced perspective of the 30ft KKK mural monstrosity and the publicity machine the museum created to push it onto viewers...all while raising the price of admission. Since the protest, UT System and the Blanton Museum have pandered to Black women specifically without disclosing the truth of what they did to me. There is so much more detail and so many more players in this saga which will hopefully come to light one day.

 

After years of looking for a lawyer, some of whom did not want to touch racial topics or go up against a government entity, I decided to file suit myself in December 2020. The Texas Attorney General's Office represented UT System and they attempted to dismiss my case in its entirety, with prejudice, meaning I cannot sue for this topic again. UT System and the TAG's to dismiss the case were DENIED by Honorable Judge Jessica Mangrum. But, UT System and TAG appealed the Judge's decision in the 7th District Court of Appeals where the case was seemingly dissolved. I don't know what this means, but I know that I will try again from a new perspective, applying what I have learned on my journey.

 

The Texas Senate has recently passed a bill that removes the requirement to teach I Have A Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. from Texas public schools. Ironically, The Blanton Museum of Art sits on MLK Jr. Boulevard. The bill also removed the requirement to teach that the Ku Klux Klan is a morally bad white supremacist group. This timing with my case is not a coincidence. Ironic yet again, former President Trump, at the persistence of African American activists, declared the KKK a domestic terrorist organization, as did the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, starting from 2019. The new Texas bill is infringing upon these federal mandates and may alter the arguments of my case against the state.

 

I may not be able to represent myself for the entirety of the case as it becomes more complex. If I do continue as a pro se plaintiff, I may need a network of support and counsel because it is me against a state institution. I may have to escalate to the Supreme Court in order to truly be heard. I also plan to take legal action against other museums and universities that poured racism and mistreatment upon me while breaking the rules, policies, or laws.

 

The funds raised here will go towards any and all expenses related to my immediate needs and legal suits. Example: ongoing legal fees, lawyers or counsel, research, time and effort, publication of my protest work, self-care and mental health support, office space so that I have a consistent place to work.

 

Thank you for your support!