Creativity is revolutionary and creative protest Is power
Black people's voices have long been vessels of truth and propellants of possibility.
Throughout history, we've used it to challenge the misconstrued and mobilize against every shade of oppression cast on us. Our voices have been vital to protecting the narrative of our plight, brilliance, and boldness in the face of white supremacy. Together, they have been used to dream, dare, and do, mirroring the wisdom of our elders' and ancestors' voices. Every utterance Black people make in pursuit of the liberated future we demand and deserve carries their echo, sharing the same tenor of love and tone of togetherness that has shaped our people's vision of freedom.
Core to our fortified rallying cry is the creativity that has helped enable and amplify it. Our art and music have shaped our lived experiences, elevated calls to action, and advanced social awareness — a vital part of social change. Black Washingtonians have iterated the power of creativity, naming in just how crucial it is to our collective action.
This communal desire to center the arts in healing, education, and civic spaces is captured in the Black Well-being: Moving Toward Solutions Together report. Narrated beautifully by couples coach and therapist Lashon Watson in the new audiobook version of the report, "Art is essential to our being. It's an important way for us to make sense of the world and express ideas and concepts that have yet to conjure words."
Black creative protest has always held revolutionary power, helping us think broadly and boldly as we co-imagine and co-create better ecosystems of care. The Black Future Co-op Fund's latest round of We See You Grants and $2 million investment in Black-led arts and arts education reflects our team's belief in this power, too.
We take space this month to elevate the names, work, and impact of Black creatives who, through the reach and resonance of their creative protest, have helped shape culture and inspire solutions supportive of Black well-being. Their artful voicing of how the world is and how the world could be moves us closer to collective freedom.
From Creative Voice to Liberatory Action
In his 1961 speech delivered at Garfield High School in Seattle's historically Black Central District, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commended and called for the creativity of all students who had "taken our deep groans and passionate yearnings for freedom, and filtered them in their own souls and fashioned them into a creative protest, which is an epic known all over our nation." Black creatives in Washington state embody the constructive and bold process of expression outlined in Dr. King's words. Their art, organizing, and programmatic efforts, past and present, add to our collective voice and attest to creative protest's power and value.
Here are some Black creatives and Black-led creative efforts worth noting for their inspirational work and effectiveness in calling attention to what demands action:
The Rooftop Pop-Up Protests of 2020
Coupling the abrupt changes that accompanied the onset of COVID-19 in 2020 was the hypervisibility of Black death by the hands of police. Voicing their resistance at a time of unique overwhelm, artists Chris Anderson and Jordan Jeffries created and held a Rooftop Pop Up Protest in Marysville, Washington. The event took an inventive approach to protesting that incorporated live music performances with sign-holding and guest speakers, all done to amplify the rallying call for our safety and create a safe space for all to be heard. Their creative protest ended up being a 20+ week call for freedom and reform, fed by community participation and solidarity. Their work led to the creation and launch of Artists in Activism, a nonprofit that supports community advancement of the marginalized and underrepresented through the arts. Dive into Artists in Activism’s organizing and creative projects here.
Acts of Stage’s Teen Summer Musical Program
For over two decades, the Teen Summer Musical has been a seasonal staple for many in the Seattle area. Organized by Acts on Stage, a community theater that centers the talents and initiatives of people of color and creatives of faith, the Teen Musical Program has invited countless young Black people over the years into a shared creative space with their peers. Acts on Stage’s mission is to change lives dramatically through the production of high-quality programs and performances that elevate the art and matters that matter. The program aids young participants’ active exploration of self, others, and the world around them, as well as the aspiration of all who get to witness it. Their last production, Dream!, was shared this August and offered hope and a moving reminder to all in attendance that seeing #ArtAsActivism changes lives dramatically. Learn more about their work here.
Femme Noire in Seattle’s Central District
Earlier this year, Femme Noire, a public art exhibition curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, Chicago-based blackpuffin's Modou Dieng Yacine, and Wa Na Wari's Elisheba Johnson, colored the streets of Seattle's Central District. From the windows of Arte Noir on East Union to lamppost banners marking the community walking route, each piece included in the outdoor exhibition externalized and celebrated the power of Black women. The art being brought to the community intentionally supported open public dialogue between artists' creations and viewers, powering thought, reflection, and future action. Explore the Femme Noire campaign here.
The Spectrum Dance Theater’s OCCURRENCE Program
The Spectrum Dance Theater, led by Sharon Nyree Williams and Donald Byrd, is a space that educates the Seattle community about dance as an art form and social and civic instrument. An extension of this commitment to transformative dance is the theater’s production and presentation of contemporary dance that defies expectation, provokes strong emotion, and elicits thoughtful response. The Theater’s Occurrence program, in place for six years, has led to perspective-shifting performances delivered to many audiences that enable joy and discovery. Their choreography ushers in expansive thinking for all involved and all watching. Learn more about their upcoming Occurrence performance later this month here.
Our community’s creative protest has been powerful
Our community’s creative protest has been powerful and has supported our power, enlivening our shared voice. The BFCF team is proud to note that many Black leaders and organizations cited above and steering impactful work in Washington state have been recipients of a We See You grant over the last three years. Explore the work of our past and present grantees here.
Beyond the Fund's belief in each of our 2023 We See You Grantees, our investment as a cooperative will forever be in accord with the praxis of liberation, and integral to it is truthful narrative and listening, as both are needed to guide our liberatory action. We invite all reading and all supporting the work of the Fund to stand in the same practice as they witness the many manifestations of structural and systemic harm in today's world. Listening to the marginalized constantly and actively pursuing truth in what the news presents to us helps us arrive at the understanding needed to make informed decisions on what to advocate for and leverage our creativity for. As we all witness systemic harm in occupied Palestine this month, our team joins the voices of others calling for integrity and righteousness. Through truth and transparency, we get to both.