Art And Activism…
Artist have always been an integral addition to social justice movements, culture shifts and activism.
Creatives such as Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee are examples of what it truly means to do it for the culture. The couple dedicated a significant amount of their time to assisting in the organizing of the great March on Washington. Davis is known to have been great friends with Malcom X and Martin Luther King and assisted in delivering the Eulogy at Malcom X’s service.
Amanda Seales is another creative whose name will assuredly take its ranks with her predecessors Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney and Dave Chappell. Comedy as an art form has brought many human rights issues to the forefront of entertainment.
The aformentioned Dick Gregory not only became famous for his athleticism and comedic genius; Gregory dedicated a significant part of his legacy to activism and standing on the frontline of the civil rights movement. Much like Gregory; Seales has centered her comedic genius around blackness, social justice and initiating often avoided dialogue making the “unmentionables” of injustice something we address boldly.
Artist such as Fabian Williams also known as @occassionalsuperstar focused a series of murals around Atlanta on civil rights activist segueing himself into a form of activism when his inspiring mural of sports activist Colin Kaepernick near the Mercedes Benz Stadium had been demolished just days before the superbowl. In response to the demolition project, Fabian and a collective of artist curated the Kaeperbowl; a series of murals dedicated to Kaepernick and his stance against injustice and the mistreatment of black and brown bodies.
The impact of controversial art and creatives bold enough to ignite change is an immense contributor to cultural movements. We continue to see the influence of such a powerful union and I hope to witness more creatives spark their convictions through various aspects of Art and Activism.
