Raising Two White Boys in the South is a collaborative, multi-media installation created by artists Michael Dickins and Dawn Martin Dickins.  This installation is a reflection of contemporary Southern thought that has been influenced by deep-rooted tradition, a troubled past, and a desire to both embrace and dispel common stereotypes.

The artists currently live in a small, rural, north Georgia town that is predominantly white, conservative, and Christian.  According to the Dickins’, “We started this project as a way to understand and discuss topics such as diversity and southern identity with our children. The main question we started with was, “How can we expose our children and educate them about other cultures, races and ethnicities while living and working in such a homogeneous community?"

This modular installation can be altered to fit within the space in which it is displayed, thus allowing for more accessibility to continue the dialogue.

A – Apple
B – Bible
C – Cotton
D – Dog
E – Elephant
F – Fiddle
G – Globe
H – House
I – Ice Cream
J – Jar
K – Klan
L – Lion
M – Mosquito

N – Noose
O - Overalls
P – Peanut
Q – Quail
R – Rocking Chair
S – Snake
T – Tractor
U – Umbrella
V – Vidalia Onion
W – Watermelon
X – Xylophone
Y – Yo-Yo
Z – Zipper

Alice Walker
Bill Elliot
Blind Willie McTell
Bobby Jones
Clarence Thomas
Eli Whitney
Flannery O’Connor
Hank Aaron
Howard Finster
Jackie Robinson
Jasper Johns
Jermaine Dupri
Jessye Norman

Jimmy Carter
John Lewis
Julia Roberts
Juliet Gordon Lowe
Lester Maddox
Margaret Mitchell
Martin Luther King
Michael Stipe
Newt Gingrich
Otis Redding
Ray Charles
Ted Turner
Zell Miller