Political Cartoons
Art as a
Form of Resistance
Discipline: Cartoonist
bigger than the game
While playing in the NFL, we protested police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. This movement was deeply personal for me, especially after witnessing my brother, Michael Bennett, experience police brutality firsthand. I joined other athletes, like Malcom Jenkins, Colin Kaepernick, and Eric Reid, in these protests to highlight racial inequality and social injustice.
However, as the NFL began to participate in the protests, I realized that the movement had been co-opted by capitalism, diluting our original intent.
This realization led me to seek other ways to use my voice. I was inspired by Nina Simone, who used her music as a form of resistance during the Civil Rights Movement. Her powerful songs, like "Mississippi Goddam," became anthems for change.
Similarly, James Baldwin's writings on social justice and resistance resonated with me. Baldwin's ability to articulate the struggles and hopes of Black Americans through his essays and novels was profoundly moving.
As Baldwin once said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced".
I also drew inspiration from other artists who used their creativity as a weapon during the Civil Rights Movement. Jacob Lawrence, with his vivid paintings, captured the struggles and resilience of Black Americans. His "Migration Series" powerfully depicted the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North.
Gordon Parks used his photography to document the harsh realities of life under segregation, providing a visual narrative that challenged the status quo.
Faith Ringgold's story quilts combined art and storytelling to highlight the experiences and struggles of Black women.
As an artist, I felt compelled to use my art as a form of resistance. I began creating political cartoons that addressed the pressing issues of our time. During my NFL career, I contributed cartoons to publications like The Washington Post and ESPN The Magazine.
This collection of work represents a period in my life when art became my weapon of choice and my form of resistance.
Adventure Awaits...
with love + imagination
-MR. TOMONOSHi!
My intentions with my political cartoons is to provoke thought, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo. They address pressing issues such as racial inequality, social justice, and the complexities of modern society.
Through satire and visual storytelling, I strive to shed light on injustices and encourage viewers to reflect on their own roles in fostering change.
This body of work is a testament to MY belief that art can be a powerful form of resistance. It is a reflection of my commitment to using my creative talents to advocate for a more just and equitable world.
Each cartoon is a piece of my journey, a visual representation of my thoughts, experiences, and aspirations for a better future.
shut up
and play
The Washington Post. 2018
I created this this political cartoon in response to the backlash WE, the NFL players faced when protesting against racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem.
The cartoon depicts two contrasting scenes involving football players. On the left side, a football player is shown promoting products like oil and fast food, with signs saying "BUY! BUY! BUY!" and people eagerly watching and cheering. On the right side, another football player is raising a fist in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, while people in the crowd hold signs saying "WHAT ABOUT THAT BIG PLAY?" and "STICK TO SPORTS!" His White teammate stands there, scratching his head, confused as to why we felt the need to express our concern and support for issues they deemed only for "poor Black people". It was tough to deal with the lack of support from our teammates, organization, coaches, fans, and the league in the locker room.
The cartoon highlights the difference in public reaction to athletes promoting products versus speaking out on social issues.
When players were talking about the movement, no one wanted to listen. However, if they were promoting a product, they were given a bigger platform. This stark contrast underscores the societal preference for athletes to remain silent on important issues and focus solely on entertainment and consumerism.
Despite the backlash, it was the right thing to do.
We had to be the voice of the voiceless.
school
to prison
pipeline
2019
The school-to-prison pipeline is a systemic issue that has disproportionately impacted Black communities for decades. Hearing about it is one thing, but I wanted to paint a picture for people to truly understand what it means.
This cartoon depicts black school children getting off a school bus and being led through a gate directly into a prison yard. The children are welcomed by barbed wire fences and prison guards, with one guard handcuffing a child while other children, wait to in line to be handcuffed next. A sign reads "WELCOME MRS. JOHNSON'S FOURTH GRADE CLASS" highlighting the direct path from school to incarceration.
This pipeline is fueled by a combination of strict disciplinary policies, racial biases, and unequal access to educational resources. Black students are often subjected to harsher punishments for minor infractions compared to their white peers.
These zero-tolerance policies result in suspensions, expulsions, and even arrests, pushing students out of the classroom and into the juvenile justice system.
Studies have shown that Black students are more likely to face severe disciplinary actions for the same behaviors exhibited by white students. The presence of law enforcement in schools, particularly those with high minority populations, exacerbates the problem by criminalizing normal student behavior.
This over-policing creates a hostile environment where Black students are treated more like criminals than children in need of support and education.
The long-term effects of the school-to-prison pipeline are devastating.
Black children who are suspended or expelled are more likely to fall behind academically, drop out of school, and become entangled in the criminal justice system.
This not only limits their future opportunities but also perpetuates the racial disparities that exist in society.
Through this cartoon, I wanted to illustrate what I see when I hear "school to prison pipeline" with the intentions of provoking thought and inspire change.
Some people loved it; it sparked great dialogue for change. Others hated it; that too sparked great dialogue for change.
That's the power of art—it evokes strong reactions and sparks important conversations.
First Day
at Trump
Middle School
The Washington Post. 2018
This political cartoon was created in response to the Trump administration's proposal to arm teachers with guns as a solution to gun violence in schools. Instead of implementing stricter gun laws, the administration suggested that arming educators would make schools safer. This cartoon aims to paint a vivid picture of the world they were advocating for and the potential consequences of such a policy.
In 2018, there were a record 94 incidents of gun violence in schools across the United States. Notable incidents included the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed, and the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which resulted in 10 deaths. These events sparked a national debate on gun control and school safety.
President Trump responded to these incidents with various statements and proposals. After the Parkland shooting, he expressed his determination to protect students and secure schools.
He initially supported measures such as raising the age limit for purchasing firearms and implementing universal background checks.
However, his administration ultimately focused on arming teachers as part of their strategy to address school violence.
Through this illustration, I wanted to highlight the absurdity and dangers of arming teachers. The cartoon portrays a dystopian scenario where the presence of guns in educational settings creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation rather than safety.
It questions the logic behind the proposal and emphasizes the need for more effective and sensible solutions to gun violence.
daca
airlines
2020
DACA Airlines
This political cartoon, titled "DACA Airlines," was created in response to the Trump administration's stance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The cartoon depicts an airplane cabin labeled "DACA Airlines," with a flight attendant tending to worried Dreamers, one holding onto her leg. The passengers, who are children dressed in uniforms that portray their dreams, look distressed. I decided to use bright colors instead of skin tones, so that we see them for their dreams, not the color of their skin.
The captain, depicted as Trump, is speaking over the intercom, saying: "This is Trum—er, your NEW captain speaking—Thanks for trusting US with your hopes and dreams, but you're gonna have to go. Have a bad flight back!!!"
In 2020, the Trump administration made multiple attempts to end the DACA program, which provides protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling in June 2020 that deemed the administration's efforts to terminate DACA as arbitrary and capricious, the push to dismantle the program continued, leaving approximately 800,000 Dreamers in a state of uncertainty and fear.
The idea of deporting children who have grown up in the United States, often knowing no other home, did not sit right with me. Many of my friends would have been kids on this flight, facing the prospect of being sent to a country they barely knew.
As a child, I would have been deeply affected if my neighborhood friends were deported.
My intentions with this political cartoon were to highlight the absurdity and cruelty of such a policy. By depicting the dreaming children as passengers on a flight being sent "home" by a callous captain, I wanted to evoke empathy and provoke thought about the human impact of these political decisions.
The response to this cartoon was overwhelming.
I received hundreds of positive and inspiring messages, so many that I don't even recall the negative feedback at all. The really cool thing was that a lot of the friends I mentioned earlier reached out to me and said thank you.
That was powerful.
First Day
at Trump
Middle School
2020
This political cartoon was created in response to the Trump administration's proposal to arm teachers with guns as a solution to gun violence in schools. Instead of implementing stricter gun laws, the administration suggested that arming educators would make schools safer. This cartoon aims to paint a vivid picture of the world they were advocating for and the potential consequences of such a policy.
In 2018, there were a record 94 incidents of gun violence in schools across the United States. Notable incidents included the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed, and the shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which resulted in 10 deaths. These events sparked a national debate on gun control and school safety.
President Trump responded to these incidents with various statements and proposals. After the Parkland shooting, he expressed his determination to protect students and secure schools.
He initially supported measures such as raising the age limit for purchasing firearms and implementing universal background checks.
However, his administration ultimately focused on arming teachers as part of their strategy to address school violence.
In the cartoon, the school environment is depicted with teachers and staff armed with rifles. The school principal stands near the entrance, holding a rifle, welcoming new students while everyone's favorite teacher welcomes students with a sign that says "WELCOME," also holding a rifle. Two students are seen walking towards the entrance, one of them asking, "Which way to Mr. Pence's African American Studies class?" A poster on the wall reads "BE THE BULLET" with an image of a bullet character.
Through this political illustration, I wanted to highlight the absurdity and dangers of arming teachers.
The cartoon portrays a dystopian scenario where the presence of guns in educational settings creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation rather than safety. It questions the logic behind the proposal and emphasizes the need for more effective and sensible solutions to gun violence.
PEOPLE WE’RE FUCKING HOT! They called me all kinds of names. NIGGER being their favorite.
estate
of MR. o’ner
ESPN THE MAG. 2018
"Estate of MR. O'NER" was my response to the NFL owners feeling like they had so much power over us while we were protesting. They were fishing for information on who was leading the protests, and many players were running to coaches and leadership, repeating our plans and thoughts. The teams, the league, and obviously some of our teammates wanted the protests to stop because it was messing up their product.
I have always thought that the slave trade and the NFL had a lot in common. The NFL combine is set up in a way that resembles slave auctions. During slave auctions, enslaved individuals were forced to stand on stages, often nearly naked, while their bodies were measured and examined.
Auctioneers would shout out numbers to the crowd, who would then bid on these individuals based on their physical attributes. This dehumanizing process reduced people to mere commodities, valued only for their physical capabilities.
Similarly, at the NFL combine, players stand on stages in minimal clothing while their body parts are measured and analyzed. Scouts and team officials shout out numbers and evaluate players based on their physical attributes, determining how much they are willing to invest in each "specimen."
This highlights the dehumanizing aspects of both processes, where individuals are valued primarily for their physical prowess rather than their humanity.
Through this cartoon, I wanted to draw attention to the parallels between these two systems and provoke thought about the power dynamics at play. The cartoon depicts NFL owners as overseers, wielding control over players and treating them as commodities rather than human beings with voices and rights.
A lot of people thought this cartoon was a bit extreme because we were being paid millions to play a game and that nothing we were protesting mattered to us.
But most of those people have never been Black in America.
Status has nothing to do with the issues of brutality and injustice.
NOBODY
CARES
NIGGER
ESPN THE MAG. 2018
"Nobody Cares Nigger!" "Nobody Cares Homie!" is a political cartoon I illustrated to paint a picture of what we were going through as players with fans, in person, via mail, and on social media. The hate was flying in from every direction, and it was a lot to deal with. They wanted to watch football, not politics. But sports have always been political.
The cartoon depicts the same player from the "Estate of MR. O'NER" political cartoon running while being chased by a white family, including the father, the mother holding a torch and handcuffs (white women went hard against us), the son (kids say all kinds of things online), and their dog.
Speech bubbles contain text from social media posts and other comments directed at the player, such as "those sons of bitches in the NFL don't respect the flag" and "im ok with the protests as long as they aren't during the game on my time".
Sports and politics have a long and complicated relationship.
Throughout history, sports have been used as a means to influence diplomatic, social, and political relations.
The Olympics have often been a platform for political statements, such as the 1968 Mexico City Olympics where U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in solidarity with the Black Power movement.
People were furious! Their response was pretty much the same as the image, which further proved my point. When I pointed that out it just made them angrier.
However, many of my peers who were protesting loved it and celebrated my boldness.