New Artwork Challenges Immigration Policies

WHEN IT WAS FIRST RECORDED IN THE 90′S, Public Enemy’s “By The Time I Get To Arizona” was a protest against Sen. John McCain and the state’s refusal to acknowledge the Martin Luther King holiday.

Today, the song is once again relevant as a way to speak out against the immigration policy in the state.

And there’s a visual element to it as well: Chuck D is collaborating with art collective SceneFour on a limited edition poster.

The canvas poses a future of state-mandated racial profiling at the moment of judgement: a hand holds up a color palette of the kind you get at a paint store, each stripe of color labeled “Suspect” or “Deport.”

The outdoor scene is a mashup of images related to Arizona, Guantanamo, and Mexico. The artist makes pointed historical references, too, adding a sign to the upper right reading, “Achtung: Show Us Your Papers.”

Find out more at Chuck D’s website, including how to get a copy of the piece.