Apr 22 2011

Another Reminder that Not Everyone Agrees With Me…

Many, many people disagree with me about many, many things. Yet on a daily basis, I tend to forget this important fact. What I mean is that this truth is not at the forefront of my daily consciousness. It should be.

Last night, I moderated a great panel about the role of art in social justice activism. There were 4 talented and inspiring panelists who shared their experiences of using art for social change. One of the panelists, Mindy Faber, shared some political video remixes as an example of socially engaged art. Among these were a couple that some of you might remember from several years ago:

During the Q & A segment of the discussion, an older woman of color asked whether any of the panelists considered the deleterious effects of exposing young people to certain art forms. In particular, she suggested that she thought that some of the video remixes were disrespectful in general but particularly disrespectful to the office of the President. Her question and comment provided a good opportunity for all of us to discuss who the intended audiences are for particular art forms. We were also able to discuss the important generational and other differences that exist in how art can be perceived and understood. The tone of the conversation was completely respectful.

What that exchange reminded me about is that I sometimes get so caught up within my own communities that I fail to appreciate the diversity of ideas, values, and views out there in the world. On an intellectual level, I am of course aware that not everyone agrees with how I see the world. But it is also true that I sometimes fail to incorporate this understanding into my daily thinking and actions. Last night was another reminder that not everyone agrees with me and in order to engage in successful movement-building one need to remember this truth.

Here is another remixed (short) video by a young person from Mindy’s program that you might enjoy: