The US Department of Arts and Culture, Arts & Democracy, and Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY) presented the conversation Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 9 October 2020 at 1 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 3 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 4 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).
In the lead up to the 2020 election, we are now, more than ever, aware of how important every person's vote is. Artists, cultural organizers and activists are critical ingredients in protecting our right to vote. In order to galvanize a mass movement and to truly enact our visions post-election, we must help build the power of our movement-building partners. These groups are essential to keeping the progressive momentum alive!
Join us on October 9th for a webinar with inspiring, movement based organizations across the country. Leaders from racial justice, environmental justice, immigrant rights and economic justice groups will share best practices, lessons learned, and strategies for building cultural and movement power together, as we begin to understand our own role in building power and creating change.
The event will feature 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.
Sign up here to let us know if you’re interested in sharing your non-partisan work related to culture and movement building during the call.
It is important to us that the virtual event is accessible to all. To make a specific access request, please email [email protected]
This is the second event in a two-part series on arts, culture, civic engagement and voting power. On September 14, Arts & Democracy and The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture convened for 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.
Thank you to The Puffin Foundation for your support of this program.
Artwork by Melanie Cervantes, Dignidad Rebelde
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