Multidisciplinary artist and TED Fellow Paul Rucker is unstitching the legacy of systemic racism in the United States. A collector of artifacts connected to the history of slavery -- from branding irons and shackles to postcards depicting lynchings -- Rucker couldn't find an undamaged Ku Klux Klan robe for his collection, so he began making his own. The result: striking garments in non-traditional fabrics like kente cloth, camouflage and silk that confront the normalization of systemic racism in the US. "If we as a people collectively look at these objects and realize that they are part of our history, we can find a way to where they have no more power over us," Rucker says. (This talk contains graphic images.)

Paul Rucker: The symbols of systemic racism -- and how to take away their power

The symbols of systemic racism -- and how to take away their power

Artifacts of racism, like branding irons and KKK robes, tell a haunting history of systemic racism and its modern echoes.

Confronting America's legacy of slavery and systemic racism is essential for dismantling its pervasive, lingering effects.

Artifacts like shackles and Klan robes illustrate the enduring impact of systemic racism, shaping today’s societal structures.