IS CALLED CHOOSING FAMILY: A MEMOIR OF QUEER MOTHERHOOD AND BLACK RESISTANCE.

YOU CAN READ AN EXCERPT ON OUR WEBSITE.

>>> CHICAGO-BASED ARTIST DWIGHT WHITE THE SECOND SAYS HE WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN AND EXCITED ABOUT ART, BUT GROWING UP IN SUBURBAN HOUSTON, HIS FOCUS WAS ON THE GRIDIRON.

AFTER PLAYING FOOTBALL THROUGHOUT CHILDHOOD AND IN COLLEGE FOR NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AND ALL THE FIELD INJURY IN 2014 REVEALS HE WAS BORN WITH ONLY ONE KIDNEY.

THE YOUNG MAN WHO HAD PLAYED FOOTBALL HIS ENTIRE LIFE SUDDENLY HAD TO PIVOT.

SINCE THEN, WHITE HAS CREATED A THRIVING CAREER IN THE VISUAL ARTS.

IN 2020, HE ADDED EVENT DURATION TO HIS ROSTER, A CULTURAL CELEBRATION CENTERED AROUND THE JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY.

>> MY WHOLE THING AS AN ARTIST IS TRIAL AND ERROR.

I RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY TO ABSTRACTION .

PRETTY FINE ART ALL THE WAY TO STREET ART.

THESE PAINTINGS, A LOT OF TIMES, I'M JUST TRYING TO CONNECT TO AN EMOTION.

A LOT OF COLOR, DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, SPONTANEOUS , INTO THE PIECES, THE SELLER BASED ON ALL.

LITERAL.

SOMETHING I CAN FEEL, FOR ME, IT WAS, IT WAS BORN OUT OF A CELEBRATION OF MULTICULTURAL , REALLY, LIKE, BLACK CREATIVITY, TO BE SPECIFICALLY.

WHEN I, I THOUGHT ABOUT JUNETEENTH , IT'S DURING 2020.

I SAW IT NOT NECESSARILY BEING CELEBRATED IN CHICAGO.

IT'S MORE SO AN AWARENESS AROUND JUNETEENTH AND WHAT THE HOLIDAY WAS NOW.

BUT ALL THE ACTIVATING I SAW AROUND IT WHERE IT MARCHES , KIND OF LIKE MAKING SURE OUR VOICES WERE HEARD .

TALKING ABOUT OUR STRUGGLES, WHICH YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS, RIGHT?

BUT THE ONE THING I DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF WAS THE CELEBRATION OF OUR CULTURE.

AND SO IT'S SOMETHING I COULD FEEL WAS BORN OUT OF THAT.

BEING AN ARTIST, THINKING ABOUT HOW POWERFULLY HOLIDAY IT WAS.

BACK IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, I FELT LIKE CHICAGO DESERVES THAT SAME ENERGY.

THERE'S AN ART GALLERY WHERE PEOPLE GET TO SHOW UP IN HIGH-FASHION AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, STEP OUT, WHICH WE LIKE DOING THAT NOW THAT WE'RE OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, RIGHT?

THERE'S AN ALL DAY CELEBRATION WHERE WE'RE HONORING ARTISTS.

THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS TALKS, YOGA EXPERIENCES LED BY BLACK MEN.

HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU SEEN 60 BLACK MEN OUT DOING YOGA TOGETHER?

IT'S NOT REALLY COMMON.

AND I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL, TO BE SEEN, TO BE HEARD, AND THEN ALSO TO, TO BE CELEBRATED.

WELL, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT, LIKE, I'M TRYING TO SERVE MY COMMUNITY , AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHOW UP FOR THEM .

AND I WANT THEM TO SHOW UP, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE EXPERIENCES.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, FIND JOY IN WHATEVER THAT IS FOR YOU.

FOR