This year’s Christmas card: the story behind the artwork
The World YWCA selected a colourful and expressive drawing by Daniella Joseph, a 13 years old student at the H.O. Nash Junior High School in the Bahamas, for this year’s Christmas card. Daniella’s artwork titled ‘Two Faces’ was chosen from several drawings submitted by participants in the YWCA of Bahamas Y Teen programme.
Daniella’s drawing was inspired by a personal experience. On a warm afternoon in September she decided to visit a children’s website on the Internet and enjoy a few moments of relaxation.
After spending several minutes interacting with other young people from around the world, a question was put to Daniella. Someone wanted to know the name of the country in which she lived. Daniella informed them that she resided in The Bahamas.
Another question followed and this time the person inquired about the colour of her skin. Daniella told the individual that she was black. Daniella claims that after she answered the final question, the children on the website “ganged up” on her and made disparaging remarks in an attempt to force her out of the chat room.
Feeling hurt and discouraged, Daniella turned off the computer and sat down to engage in her favourite pastime: drawing.
Earlier in the school day, Rosalie Fawkes, General Secretary at the YWCA of the Bahamas, had visited the school and informed the students that the World YWCA had extended an invitation to the young people to create a Christmas card that would be sent out to member associations, partners and friends worldwide. Still reeling from the recent negative encounter on the Internet, Daniella decided that she would use her artwork to send out a positive message of racial equality and harmony. Daniella’s drawing titled “Two Faces” depicts two persons from different ethnic backgrounds garbed in Junkanoo (a Bahamian Christmas festival), offering a strong message to everyone: we are all one and should strive to live together in peace and unity.
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