The Times They Are a-Changin'
Two years spent in the South while stationed with the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky opened Roman's eyes to the injustices endured by American Blacks. These same struggles faced his own community back home. As a Mexican national who lived throughout the southwest in some of the poorest neighborhoods, Roman understood the difficulty in claiming your place in the world. The Civil Rights act of 1964 helped to pave the way for his success.
A community leader, Roman has devoted many hours to furthering Latino rights in Arizona. Working with Chicanos Por La Causa and Friendly House; volunteering for political campaigns; Roman connected to the struggle for recognition and equality for his community.
As a photo journalist, Roman covered historic events that helped to shape the national conscience; the UFW rallies of the 70s and 80s and later, the funeral of Cesar Chavez in 1993. In 2004, Roman represented a local weekly, the Informant, to cover the disastrous Hurricane Katrina aftermath and its effect on the poorest residents of the Delta region.
For Roman, the Presidential election of 2008 is proof of America's coming of age. Barack Obama's election to the highest office inspired Roman's newest painting;
Change.
The three figures; Cesar, Barack, and Martin all represent the struggle for equal rights, equal treatment, and equal opportunities that have defined the past 50 years in America for people of color. The "fist bump" shared by these men is a positive affirmation of all that has been accomplished; and fondly recalls Michelle and Barack's shared fist bump on June 3, 2008 signifying the powerful message delivered at that presidential campaign speech in St. Paul, Minnesota.
A gentle man, Roman finds time to speak at schools in the Phoenix area where he is a role model to the Hispanic youth community. His work with Arizona Latinos for Art and Culture (ALAC) is but another step in bringing cultural awareness and diversity to the Valley Arts community.
