A key component of Kinship Bonds is an exploration of the worldviews surrounding the issue of slavery. This section begins with an intro into how ideas were disseminated through newspapers into a largely homogenous community. The argument is made that information was disseminated through bias reporting in newspapers. This editorial bias both represented the beliefs of the community and reinforced them. Included are examples of articles arguing the inferiority of the African race and justifications for slavery. A reflective viewer should be able to draw a parallel between the effects of bias reporting of the 19th Century and modern journalism and social media’s effect on the formulation of current worldviews. The majority of white residents in Calhoun County held to the belief that slavery was a moral good, biblically supported, and essential to the economic prosperity of the mostly farming community. Opinions in agreement with this worldview were presented in papers positively, and opposing beliefs were non-existent or presented in a negative light. Section size: 8x12ft.

Panels: Sintra, paper, Viny, wood, and painted Masonite panels. Content: reproduction of photos, etchings, historical documents, newspaper clippings- courtesy of Library of Congress, Alabama Department of Archives, JSU Digital Commons