The header image is an edited version of a renowned graffiti mural, shown here, that depicts Billie Holiday, an American jazz singer and songwriter, beside a barred window and graffiti text that reads “Life is Beautiful.” We chose this image because it resonates with our theme, and edited the graffiti text to present our theme clearly on the main website page. The barred window next to the singer’s face represents, in relation to our theme, the obstacles of making it in NYC. Holiday’s expression conveys a sense of defiance, and suggests that to make it in NYC, one must challenge and overcome these obstacles. This image further connects to the theme of “Making it in NYC” in the sense that this brick wall was previously just a decrepit wall with an ugly window that became something beautiful, denoting a change, much like the way our views changed by the stories learned from the many people who are invisible to us, even though we see and overlook them every day. This painted mural does not, however, entirely erase the fact that we can still see the wall’s original, worn out form. This mural instills an inspirational message of fortitude, and helps us understand that breaking the barriers to make it in NYC is not always glamorous, as depicted in the Jay-Z music video. Though the process of making it in NYC might change a person, his or her struggles, and overall narrative, will always remain a part of them.
–Carlos Perez
