Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement

A briefing call

Topics:
National , Northeast , Southeast , Southwest , Democracy , Human Rights / Social Justice , Multi / Inter-disciplinary , Alliance / Movement / Field Building


October 9, 2020
Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement

Webinar recording

Resource newsletter

Arts & Democracy in collaboration with The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, and NOCD-NY convened Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement, a webinar showcasing inspiring, movement based organizations across the country. The event featured presentations from Michelle Ramos (Executive Director, Alternate ROOTS), Angeles Solis (Director of Worker Organizing, Make the Road Action), Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson (a member of Movement for Black Lives’ policy table leadership team), Charon Hribar (Revivals Coordinator, Poor People's Campaign), and Nina Eichner (Creative Projects Manager, Sunrise Movement) on the following nonpartisan work:
 
  • Alternate ROOTS, a network of artists and cultural organizers based in the South that galvanizes movement building with arts and culture.
 
  • Make The Road, New York, building the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice. 
 
  • Movement for Black Lives' BREATHE Act, which features a vision for policy aimed at divesting from incarceration, policing, and fossil fuels, and investing in self-determination for Black communities and equity for all.
 
  • Poor People’s Campaign's Jubilee Platform, a transformational response to the needs and demands of the 140 million people who are poor or low-income and are struggling to make ends meet in this country. 
 
  • Sunrise Movement's focus on distributed visual strategy and sharp action art, and how it has been integral to building power, shifting public opinion on climate, and influencing primary elections.
 
This was the second event in a two-part program on non partisan arts, culture, civic engagement and voting power. On September 14, Arts & Democracy and The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture convened We Decide: Arts, Culture, and Voting Power, an opportunity to learn how arts, culture, and creative media can reimagine our democracy and revitalize civic participation, with a focus on historically disenfranchised communities. If you missed the event, you can watch the recording here. Participants also shared these resources on the call.

Support for this series came from the Puffin Foundation

Artwork by Melanie Cervantes, Dignidad Rebelde