Arts and Activism

As adults, we don’t often receive gold stars or recognition for small achievements, so I admit, I love getting my “I VOTED” sticker every chance I get.

I come from a family of activists. When my mother was in high school, she made PB&J sandwiches for a Senate candidate because my grandmother was running the campaign headquarters. Both my parents were deeply involved in various Civil Rights movements in the '60s and '70s. I had an aunt who served as an Alderperson and an uncle who was a State Representative.

I vividly remember my first Presidential election and the excitement in the lead-up as my parents made sure I was registered to vote. When I asked them separately who they were voting for, I was surprised by their identical responses: they wouldn’t tell me.

They insisted it was my vote, and they weren’t going to influence my choice. (Though my dad did follow this up with a rather dull lecture on the importance of researching the candidates!)

Growing up, my parents always said that people fought for the right to vote, which makes it a responsibility for those of us who follow. We are caretakers of this shared world, and we owe it to ourselves and each other to leave the world a little better than we found it.

I guess I was destined to become a bibliophile as well. Our living room had an entire wall of books, and my grandmother worked at a library. She’s also a fierce Scrabble player and never went easy on me, even when I was a kid! My mom taught me to read before kindergarten (and this was well before Hooked on Phonics).

My parents’ advice was always: “Read everything” and “Question everything you read.”

Reading was the first art I loved. As a child, I devoured books—Piers Anthony, Tolkien, The Secret Garden—and I read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (teen edition) when I was twelve.

I love being transported to other worlds and getting lost in a book for hours. Books allow me to imagine what could be and to live many lives through the characters.

For me, art and activism are one and the same. Art has a unique way of opening our hearts and ears to the perspectives of others. It’s one of the things that sets our species apart—we can learn from a story without having to get burned by the fire ourselves. Sharing and learning from the stories of others has been essential to our growth.

“Story” isn’t just part of the word “history”—it holds a special place in our lives. It shows us how we do (and don’t) function in society and life. Each civilization’s development has relied on our ability to share stories with each other.

Art also brings light to controversial issues in ways that allow us to confront them in a safe space. Perhaps more importantly, it shines light on things we might otherwise be afraid to see. Think of The Lord of the Rings and its commentary on industrialism, Fahrenheit 451 and its stark warning about a war on books and knowledge, A View from the Bridge and its exploration of the effects of immigration laws on families, or Unbecoming Tragedy and its examination of how the justice system impacts human dignity.

I could go on. Not only is art and storytelling capable of delving into difficult topics—it is their most sacred obligation. In today’s world, where our differences so often prevent us from listening to each other’s stories, it is more important than ever for artists to amplify and uplift one another. Perhaps we’ll learn something. And even if we don’t, we’ll be transported from our daily struggles and experience a little catharsis.

So, I challenge you—everything you read, every play you see, every film you watch, every song you hear—ask yourself: Is it teaching us something? And then, go share it with everyone you meet.