Thoughts after âWho We Be: Superpanel on Art, Protest, and Racial Justiceâ
Quotes that are resonating with me from the superpanel (I couldnât write it all down, unfortunately, but hereâs the least of it):
Cultural change always precedes political change.
In an MTV survey of âMillennialsâ, they found that 84% of people believed that society should âembrace and celebrate diversity in societyâ and that 72% of people believed that we should have âa colorblind societyâ. It boggles my mind that people could hold both these ideas in their heads at once without exploding! But thatâs the confusion- confusion in the language.
What strikes me about the response to the Starbucks 'race together' campaign was that, yes, it was so easy to make fun of, but in that there was a kind of defeatism-an end to the conversation- which is what they want.
On comparing Spaces of Protest exhibit photos from Ferguson protests vs. Detroit Institute of Art protests)
I started noticing- that spaces of protest-and art- are segregated.
Trayvon Martin's hoody vs. the hoody as tech industry's daily wear anthem âIt was the hoodyâ- the media.
How is the language of multiculturalism deflecting from real, structured racism?
How do you know if you're connected to real movements?
Gay organizations stay away from the lives of black gays, because 'that's not what we're talking about' - a quiet reinforcer of white supremacy.
My friend shed a light on my blind spot on women of color- especially trans. It made me think about my own privilege.
The problem is that- people really identify as consumers, like âCan you afford that or not?â- not citizens, anymore.Â
Yes, Iâll say it- and Iâll say it again- the NAACP was bought off by Starbucks before they started running their ârace togetherâ campaign.
   - Steven W. Thrasher
On protestors who chained themselves to benches and PVC-pipe linked themselves through a pair of BART doors
The power of the BART protests is that in that moment, you had to agree right then and there: Am I the person who is on the side of protest, or am I the person who is pissed about not being able to get to work for a day?
Activism through social media is not a throwaway culture- it is a public record.
Visual references: Fernando Botero's series on Abu Ghraib, images of the Die-in protests at Grand Central Station, the Umbrella Movement, Oakland Tribune's "Oscar for Best Caucasian of the Year"
The worst thing about Occupy was showing up and seeing that there were a lot of white people in tents. A lot. A lot. A lot. And that when black people wanted to join- well, the camps were separated into two. That was painful and ugly to see.Â
What is racial justice? It's certainly not 18 months in jail. Or quite frankly, jail.
What would your world be like if black lives mattered? Especially in a city where only 3% have housing? This seems like a simple question, but it's actually quite provocative.
...then you have people who want you to replace protest with, in their view "practical" means of enforcing change, like through legislation- which, if anyone who said that who knew anything about Ferguson, just knows is -laughs-.
...through these visuals, you can see the evolution of how people see themselves within the movement.
The problem I have with the Starbucks 'race together' campaign is that it was this superficial donning of cause, when upon closer examination:
a) the senior management is devoid of minorities b) blame was assigned to the management's one black, female executive, as if it was her pet project- but it wasn't and c) punting the conversation to your lowest-paid employees to have this conversation is disgusting. (fuzzy quote)
   - Alicia Garzaâ
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Jeff Chang, Author of Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Has written for The Nation, the NYT, SF Chronical, Mother Jones, and more. Currently serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts at Stanford.
Ben Davis, author of 9.5 Theses on Art & Class. Previously exec editor of Blouin Artinfo and currently National Art Critic for artnet News. He's written for Adbusters, artinfo.com, Frieze, The Brooklyn Rail, and more.
Steven W. Thrasher, Writer-at-Large for the Guardian. A board member of the American Sociological Association's journal Contexts, named 2014 "Game Changer" by Mused Magazine for his Buzzfeed coverage of HIV criminalization and his Guardian coverage of Black Lives Matter. A frequent commentator on race and sexuality for NPR, BBC, AJ America, and more.
Christian L. Frock, ind. curator, writer, and regular contributor to KQED Arts, SF Arts Monthly, and the SF Chronicle. She is presently working on a historical survey of women artists at work in public space for Mills Art Museum in 2015.
Alicia Garza, Co-founder of Black Lives Matter. The movement grew into a national organizing project that is an affirmation and embrace of the resistance and resilience of Black people. Currently Special Projects Director at National Domestic Workers Alliance. Recipient of multiple awards including the Local Hero award from the SFBG. Twice honored by Harvey Milk Dem Club w/Bayard Rustin Community Activist award.
Art in protest and racial justice presents a powerful point of view, and empowers protest and direct action as part of strategic cultural change. It brings people to see themselves within a movement, and to make the movement their own. The evolution of art within a movement mobilizes the masses to connect with each other, and to share the message. However, there is the danger of art in protest and racial justice being co-opted for superficial, commercial uses, and a danger in the language we use of being misinterpreted- this is only one of many problems to solve.
boiling questions
1) Â How is the new speed of hashtag / art in activism impacting protest and racial justice? How do we remain clear on the original, intended messaging as it spreads? (Why are other causes selecting to co-opt the #BlackLivesMatter movement?) Co-opting that seem to me, well-intended, but ultimately lost by its execution. (the sudden co-opting of #--livesmatter by other causes. From #blackandbrownlivesmatter to #Animallivesmatter. (TIL: Animals have more secured housing than black people- who have less than 3% secure housing in the city.)
2) How can I know when the language of multiculturalism deflects from real, structured racism? (When is it less clear but still distinct?) What are more examples of that language?
Iâve now understood one of these examples as the âhoodyâ language the media uses when explaining Trayvon Martinâs death, which deflects from the fact that it wasnât the hoody- it was that he was black. Plenty of tech professionals wear hoodies as daily, professional wear. None of us in danger for wearing a âhoodyâ.
3) What can we change in the world so that art can play a role to bring the split camps, like the Occupy camps at the Frank Ogawa Plaza (the white side teased as âSnow park, Northface sideâ) together? What conversation DIDNâT happen in that situation that things could get so bad? Why didnât it happen? How can we address those uncomfortable spaces in this conversation?
4) Is there a faster vehicle for carrying powerful art in protest and racial justice pieces to everyone, so everyone can see themselves in the continued movement for justice? Why does it feel slow?
Art in protest pieces that were shared today (very powerful):
- Abu Ghraib series by Fernando Botero
- Every Motherâs Son by Sophie Dawson
- #blacklivesmatter graphic illustrations of injustice by Melanie Cervantes
- âDie-inâ at Grand Central Station (photographer unknown)
- Umbrella movement participants standing against a crowd of police (photographer unknown)
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