This past week has been tumultuous no matter what end of the spectrum you fall on. The true divisiveness within the United States has finally been revealed, and no matter your perception of the outcome, it is a relief to finally, glaringly, know how we stand as a people. Regardless of who you voted for, it cannot be denied that a great change is about to sweep the free world. As artists, we have a unique opportunity here to make our voices (no matter what shade of red or blue they are) heard through each of our individual mediums. More importantly, we wield the power to promote understanding of our unique struggles.
Art was utilized in the Dark Ages to tell stories for people who lacked the means of understanding written word; the Harlem Renaissance promoted solidarity within black America. In 1935, Langston Hughes wrote the poem Let America Be America Again, saying
“O, let America be America again— The land that never has been yet— And yet must be—the land where every man is free.”
Another thing about art is that it is transcendent of time. Art creates strongholds within history, mile markers for each challenge overcome or movement procured. Think of moments in time photographers have captured, the movements musicians and painters have created. From Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech to Woodstock to the March on Wall Street. Without artists, these movements would have lived and died without further thought, any echo of sentiment passing away quietly.
Image via. The Guardian
We have the power, on each side, to struggle against the expectation– the expectation of hatred and violence and squandering of power– and extend an olive branch, whether it be painted, sung, or written, to those who we do not understand. As artists, we have a unique opportunity to share our stories with any opposing sides and garner, at the very least, empathy for another’s cause.