Hello, my name is Alivia Pierce and I am a rising junior at the University of Pittsburgh studying Art History and Studio Arts. As an honorary recipient of the Honors College’s Brackenridge Fellowship, my project revolves around the topic of the struggle for Black visibility. The particular role that political protest flyers and posters had on the 1960s to 1970s American landscape defined the future of what civil “disobedience” would be in the years to come. My amazing mentor, Dr. Gretchen Bender, is someone who has always encouraged me to pursue my interests in such topics within academia, which largely reflect much of my own identity and passions.

Even the tiniest of ripples can create waves, evoking action and change. We see that through the transcendence of time, the manner in which we protest continues to rely upon the craft of the people. My research not only serves as a reminder of this but as a collection of resources for the modern-day revolutionary. My current professional goal is to explore this, not only through the familarity of protest as an activist but as a student fuctioning within an institution like Pitt. I want to further my reach of understanding into a career field while incorporating my artistic background, which defies the common associations of research as strictly STEM-related. That is why I think that the fellowship will largely help me pursue this goal – because it allows me to approach research through the lense of the artistic liberty.

Something unique about me is that I love to go hiking! I find being outdoors to be one of the most theraputic experiences for my mental health. There are some truly beautiful spots in Upstate New York, so defintely visit if you can.