Visions and Voices

Jill M. Futrell

Although I am mostly Cherokee as my great-grandmother is full-blooded, my family has been identified more as black. My mother is adopted and light skinned so I always identified myself as bi-racial and look more like this identity. Being the only child living with a strong single mother has been a huge influence on me. Also being a mixed child in all white community until college taught me a lot about life.  

I grew up in a white upper middle class suburb of New York City. I had a very open-minded supporting mother who is still my best friend. This has shaped me by showing me a lot about the humane qualities of people and how I have to think about things in order to go through life as happy as I can make it. The environment I am now in is not entirely different in sense of class and race although in other ways it is completely different, as the east coast is totally unlike the west.  

I plan to go to law school and get a job that I believe will incorporate my background and education. Education leads to success and more successful Cherokees will give all American Indians a better reputation and give young American Indians something to strive towards. I hope to help my people by fighting for their rights and doing what I believe to be right and just.

Tribal afilliation:  Cherokee

Image size:  16" x 20"   Medium:  Graphite