The shrine that I have created has many symbolic meanings to me. My background is Greek and the symbols have many personal meanings. Together with what I have absorbed in this class and my background, I have created a shrine encompassing hope. Being the second generation of Greek immigrants, my shrine has some symbolic meanings which are similar to the Civil Rights Movement. The black cloth that is on the left reminds me of my grandmother mourning my grandfather who had passed away some time ago.  The cloth also represents the death that the Blacks have faced in the time of oppression.

The broken glass and the cigarette butts show the stress, hard work and sacrifice which the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements had gone through. These also pertain to my past of hard work and the hope for better grades and getting into college.

The broken cell phone does not symbolize anything from my past, but it represents a struggle of expressing what the Blacks wanted to communicate: civil rights and equality.

The top half of the shrine represents hope, religion, health and a better future. The cross represents faith, which was a help for the Blacks, bringing them hope. The garlic is a shield against bad spirits. The garlic reminds me of my grandmother giving a piece of garlic to me every time I left her house. She tells me that there are bad spirits out there and this will block them from me. The garlic also is a symbol for the Blacks to keep on fighting for their rights and have a shield from the evils that come, such as the KKK.

The lid part of the shrine represents the opportunity of America and the beads represent the jewels of our country. With this in mind, the cross and a piece of garlic will help us strive for better days and hope will become reality.

The top half of the shrine represents hope, religion, health and a better future. The cross represents faith, which was a help for the Blacks, bringing them hope. The garlic is a shield against bad spirits. The garlic reminds me of my grandmother giving a piece of garlic to me every time I left her house. She tells me that there are bad spirits out there and this will block them from me. The garlic also is a symbol for the Blacks to keep on fighting for their rights and have a shield from the evils that come, such as the KKK.

The lid part of the shrine represents the opportunity of America and the beads represent the jewels of our country. With this in mind, the cross and a piece of garlic will help us strive for better days and hope will become reality.