I really appreciated Mendi Lewis Obadike's Keeping Up Appearances. The page simply reads "i used to work for this fellow. he was a pretty nice guy.i knew him from the church.he was from a powerful family.he showed me the ropes at work. he was a mentor to me.on the other hand, he was a peer. maybe it’s just like that when you’re an adult. i never said anything to him about this. this was unremarkable. i don’t have to tell you about friendship. he praised my work all the time. he praised me and praised me."
Between the lines, Mendi tells the real story. This older man inappropriately subjected her to uncomfortable physical touching and comments comparing her to his black step daughter. The design of this page, with words hidden in the background until you hover over them, is reminiscent of the guilt and censorship victims of sexual harassment and assault go through. Mendi speaks about holding in the abuse, scared that the older man would reveal himself as a monster if she pressed for closure.
This work is a powerful message about reading between the lines and the confusion and secrecy victims endure.