Activating the Cultural Power of a Movement

Arts & Democracy

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.

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 (Co-Director of Cultural Arts, 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.

Source: Webinar description