Conspiracy Theory was a performance piece based on an idea there is a concerted effort to misrepresent, negatively brand and demonize black people. The use of news, print, movies, music and media as the vehicle to deliver the message perpetuates fear, racism, social distancing, alienation, self-hate, stereotype reinforcement and a slavery mindset. The social impact of the stories and images Americans see about black people create a void between us and everyone else. Conspiracy Theory aimed to reduce the void while simultaneously proving the media could be manipulated and used to serve a racist agenda.

Hypothesis:

The white people who own and operate the media machine and outlets have power, privilege and money. All of which make it easy to manipulate the media and use it to brand black people in an unfavorable light with the ongoing goal of maintaining white supremacy.

Trial:

Create a story about a black man that fosters empathy and shows him as the victim instead of the perpetrator. Fabricate and embellish a believable narrative. Manipulate a legitimate news outlet using deception and trigger words. Get the story published by a legitimate media outlet.

Results:

The story was published in print (Cincinnati Enquirer) and online (Cincinnati.com) less than a month after being conceived. January 2019