UW-Madison Afro-American studies professor Freida High W. Tesfagiorgis say its purveyors see it as creative expression, cultural identity and the claim of a right to exist, be seen and have a place in the world that commands respect.
“Inherent in graffiti marks . . . is resistance to capitalist oppression, inclusive of racial or ethnic oppression,” she said.
But those who pay the price say it’s all criminal.