Amanda Williams shares her lifelong fascination with the complexity of color: from her experiences with race and redlining to her discovery of color theory to her work as a visual artist. Journey with Williams to Chicago's South Side and explore "Color(ed) Theory," a two-year art project in which she painted soon-to-be-demolished houses bold, monochromatic colors infused with local meaning -- catalyzing conversations and making the hidden visible.

Why I turned Chicago's abandoned homes into art

Color is more than a visual detail; it carries deep social and political meaning, especially in racially divided cities like Chicago. Painting abandoned South Side homes in bold, locally resonant hues, one artist challenged the way color is used to map value and exclusion. By creating a new palette from everyday products and memories, she sparked conversations about race, neighborhood worth, and collective agency. Her vivid interventions made visible the hidden forces shaping urban life and gave residents a new way to see possibility.