What Are You?

What Are You? is an exploration of what it means to be mixed-race in America.

Leading artist Nicolette Emanuelle began questioning why she had been asked “what are you?” for most of her life, leading to a deep exploration of how racial identity can imbue both a sense of community and feeling like an outcast. 

Nicolette was raised with roots in the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, and after interviewing other multiracial/multi-ethnic people, she found a wealth of common ground and a path forward in her own journey. What Are You? captures the absurdity of America’s narrative on race and invites viewers to “check their boxes” and engage in vital conversation around multiracial/multiethnic people and their experiences. Featuring the talents of Meredith Gordon (AKA Squeeze the Clown) and aerial artist Jaylynn Haywood, this immersive performance will be premiering as part of Art on the Atlanta Beltline, combining aerial movement, shadow play, music, and personal testimonies to highlight the beauty and expose the struggles of multi-racial people while honoring their resilience.