In times of war and crisis, when people are rising up, when people are taking a stand, when the stakes could not be higher– what is the responsibility of the artist?

History points us to the answer. Culture is the heartbeat of our movements. It brings people into collective action, sharpens our sense of our own power, and makes a better future feel possible. But the ruling elites also use culture to flood our screens with art that makes the current crisis feel natural, inevitable, and permanent. Artists on the side of freedom have to fight back. Nina Simone, Langston Hughes, June Jordan, Elizabeth Catlett, and Paul Robeson all took a side. The muralists of the Chicano Movement took a side. Hip-hop artists and those speaking out on stages, screens, studio walls, and the streets today take a side. Now, we as artists have to consider what that looks like in today’s context.

In this course presented by Artists Against Apartheid & The People’s Forum, we will study the role of the artist in the movement. We will discuss the responsibility of artists to struggle against the system that exploits, alienates, and pacifies and towards building a culture that inspires, drives, and sustains our collective struggle for liberation. Art alone cannot make a revolution, but it can transform the people who will.

More About the Course: You can take this course from anywhere in the world — join live in-person in NYC at The People’s Forum and online via zoom, or access recordings and readings on your own time. There will also be opportunities to connect with people participating in your regional area to watch classes, discuss and build connections together. Register now and we will follow up with details about local participation.

Drawing from the tradition of the Black Arts Movement, the John Reed Clubs, and other radical artist organizing, part of this course will be Artist Salons — gatherings to exchange ideas, and discuss how to bring the classroom lessons into our artistic practices and organizing. Salons will take place twice over the 6 week course, with some opportunities for those outside NYC to plug into one in their area.