How can I sustain activism as an artist?
I am energized by the swift policy changes and incredible conversations around systemic injustice and defunding the prison industrial system Black Lives Matter has brought about after the murder of George Floyd.
And, while I’m proud to have marched with Black Lives Matter since 2013, I’m disappointed with myself for having lost touch with this movement since moving to Los Angeles two years ago. So, while I’ve been doing my best to prioritize conversations with family and friends, protesting, emailing my representatives, and donating to urgent funds, much of my personal work has centered around the question,
“How can I stay energized and build a consistent routine of continued education and sustained activism?”
After reflection I’ve built a plan to stay informed and ways to ensure I remain aware, up to date, and active. I thought the tactics I’m using and plan to use to hold myself accountable along with the resources I’ve found could be useful to others.
If you have a resource or suggestion, I would love to hear it, whether as a comment or through my contact page, and will continue to add to this article.
1. Follow Trusted News Sources
In today’s political climate, first and foremost, I stick to reliable news sources. Most of these sources I already have a near daily relationship with (especially Democracy Now!), but I took the extra step to follow them on social media to ensure I’m staying informed from the sources I trust going forward.
Follow your local station!
Los Angeles station:
These are some helpful tips for vetting your news sources from NPR and the American Press Institute:
NPR: Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts
- Pay attention to the domain and URL
- Read the “About Us” section
- Look at the quotes in a story
- Look at who said them
- Check the comments
- Reverse image search
American Press Institute: Six Questions that Will Tell You What Media to Trust
- What kind of content is this?
- Who and what are the sources cited and why should I believe them?
- What’s the evidence and how was it vetted?
- Is the main point of the piece proven by the evidence?
- What’s missing?
- Am I learning every day what I need?
If you’re still not sure, try the fact checking website Snopes.
2. Know Your Representatives
I’ve discovered a shortlist of my local and state representatives. And, I’ve begun following my district’s representatives on social media to keep close tabs on what policies they’re backing, what messages they’re projecting, and to monitor the conversations happening on their content.
Here is a shortlist of Los Angeles City Council Members and I found my district’s council member here.
This will make contacting my representatives to voice my values and demands much easier.
3. Follow Activists and Activist Organizations and Take Action with Them
I found my local activists, activist organizations and non-partisan research organizations, signed up for their mailing lists and/or followed them on social media. These organizations often deliver clear calls to action so, now that I’ve found them and subscribed or followed them, I plan to carry out their action items whenever possible.
Below is a very short list of national organizations to follow. Most have local chapters across the nation. I recommend finding your local chapter’s accounts so you can follow them and their organizers.
Here are some great starting points:
4. Donate to Activist and Community Organizations
There are so many places to donate. Black Lives Matter, NAACP, and the Southern Poverty Law Center all take donations.
Here is a helpful Google doc to help you find more funds you can support with your wallet near you!
Looking for artsy orgs to contribute to? Check out:
Black Lesbian Literary Collective
I’m currently deliberating on which organization I can make the most impact by donating a manageable amount automatically every month. This allows organizations to better plan their budgets and resources.
5. Consume Art and Content Made By Black Artists and Creators
This one has really settled in for me lately. I owe so much of my personal education to Black art, music, choreography, stories, and films. For me, I know a critical way for me to keep energized about uprooting white supremacy and patriarchy is by viewing, listening to, and absorbing content created by Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and other artists who have different experiences and perspectives.
Want to discover new, Black artists and authors? Here are some accounts I recommend following (these are their Instagram accounts, but most are on other platforms as well):
Please comment below with your favorite accounts so I can follow them. Even if they’re individual artists as I do follow individual artists on my personal account. Plus, I always share artist’s events that I love and respect and would love to continue to share more Black artist’s events and work in my Instagram stories.
6. Support Black Artists and Creators
The next level beyond consuming Black art is supporting (with $$$) Black artists. Not only is it supporting the individual artist, but it’s providing us with valuable, re-education. Buying a physical manifestation of an artist’s work (aka going beyond the two seconds they occupy on our Instagram feeds as we scroll by) can continually remind us what new perspective it provided us.
Plus, buying art doesn’t have to be expensive! Especially if you’re discovering new artists at the accounts above as they feature artists with a wide range of experience and price ranges. Don’t let the thought of buying art be daunting. It absolutely doesn’t have to be. Plus, it’s an investment I’ve never regretted.
The other great thing about supporting and following Black artists is that you’ll also hear about their events, performances, showings, etc. This opens opportunities to meet a more diverse crowd of potential artist friends and collaborators. Expanding your circle also deepens your understanding, diversifies your knowledge base, and broadens your capacity for empathy and compassion.
Another way to support Black artists and creators is to contribute to their Patreon accounts on a monthly basis which helps provide greater stability to artists.
7. Share everything
This doesn’t necessarily mean blasting everything you do on social media (though it could). The basis is, when I email a representative, I’m going to forward that email along so my friends and community members can easily take action with me. When I see a cause or fund worth supporting, I’ll share it with people who I think may be interested or I’ll share it on social media. When I find a Black artist I appreciate, I’m going to recommend that artist to friends or share their work on social media.
By sharing our efforts, we’ll not only help give visibility to these causes, artists, and communities, we’ll also help facilitate larger-scale actions toward the changes we want to see in the world.
8. Hold yourself, your producers, casting directors, and employers accountable
This one I put after sharing because it’s up to you, your show, your brand, etc. whether going public about your efforts makes sense. Also, depending on the situation, it may be more effective to keep conversations private, at least at first.
I do however believe you need to tell at least one, trusted person in your circle what your personal commitments will be so they can hold you accountable.
This is an area that I’ve regretfully overlooked in my past. And, while I’ve kept it more present in mind when I’m producing a project, it’s something that I seem to always have room for improvement are. I’ve begun to make my commitments to my casts and crews known so that everyone on my teams can hold me accountable.
Find a way that makes sense and works for you.
Information and Perspective from Black Artists, Creatives, and Activists
I attended two days of Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s three-day virtual event last week (June 10th – 12th) and it gave me new ways to self-reflect on my role in creating inclusive, equitable spaces. They have other great resources including a comprehensive reading list. I recommend following them and attending future events.
“This is Not a Drill!” The Power of Protest!
A panel put on by Black Lives Matter LA via Zoom and Facebook Live.
Black Lives Matter is Not a Design Challenge
An opinion article about why white and white adjacent artists should take pause for reflection before hurrying to create and publish work about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Documentaries About the Current Black American Experience
13th (YouTube and Netflix)
A history of the prison industrial system by filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
When They See Us (Netflix)
Covering the false accusations and forced confessions of five, young Black boys in a violent sexual assault and the racism inherent in their struggle to prove their innocence by filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
Teach Us All (Netflix)
A documentary exploring the current realities of public school segregation by filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
FREE CeCe! (Vimeo)
A documentary about violence toward Trans Black women, how authorities perceive Trans Black women, and the treatment of Trans Black women in the criminal justice system by filmmaker Jac Gares.
Discussions on Abolishing the Prison Industrial System (and Defunding Police)
“Out of Options in Terms of Reform”
A conversation with Khalil Gibran Muhammad on Democracy Now! About the historical context of racist policing in the United States and why more radical changes to the system are necessary.
What Does It Mean to Defund or Abolish the Police?
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah put together a brilliant panel of organizing clearly laying out why this is important and how it is possible.
So after we abolish prisons and policing… then what?: A Black Feminist Dialogue
I love this YouTuber (For Harriet) and here she puts together a thoughtful, thorough panel discussing the nuances of prison system abolition.
Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop
This is a non-POC voice in the mix, but I think it vividly illustrates the problems with police culture we are fighting against. Self-proclaimed ex-cop, but anonymous author, “Officer A Cab” lays out his ten years of experience as a police officer and why this experience leads him to believe that abolishment is the best option.
101 Books I Recommend
A history of the United States of America from the perspective of the oppressed by Howard Zinn.
“Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander.
Tracing coded racist political rhetoric as it has evolved to cover the true racist intentions behind the rhetoric. “How coded racial appeals have reinvented racism and wrecked the middle class” by Ian Haney López.
Stephen Jay Gould reproduces and refutes studies on “intelligence” throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, uncovering its racist lineage.
5 Books I’ve Committed to Reading this Year (If you’d like to join me!)
By June Jordan
Freedom is a Constant Struggle
By Angela Davis
By Robin DiAngelo
The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde
By Audre Lorde
By Octavia E Butler
Conclusion
I look forward to deepening my understanding, enriching my efforts, and maintain my passion every day. This document will serve as a continual resource for me, so please share additional resources with me privately or in a comment!
I hope this can serve as a great resource for you as well to continue your allyship and activism for the long haul.
