An Introduction (drawn from bell hooks) is the first drawing of the Unbecoming series. In these works Rushing considers the labor and responsibility of reconciliation and contrition through the process of writing lines. Each drawing of the series pulls from an influential text that addresses issues of race, gender, and more. An Introduction is a drawing and a transcription of the introduction to bell hooks’ Ain’t I A Woman, and serves as the foundation for the explorations within Unbecoming. The series title stems from the cultural and social pressures of being socialized as a white woman, especially one from a family of strong women. Throughout her life Rushing has struggled with her identity as a girl, and then woman who has met the expectations set before her in every sphere of life. This series is an attempt in graphite to reevaluate the assumed truths presented to her as appropriate for her gender, race, and social class, and to explore historically radical, revolutionary, and unflinchingly honest notions of identity.