March’s Digital Dialogue: A Conversation about the Role of Arts and Culture in Movement Building

By MediaJustice

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"A Dialogue about the Role of Arts and Culture in Movement Building"

 

• Elandria Williams, The Highlander Research and Education Center 
• Carol Ammons & Danielle Chynoweth, Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center
• Michele Welsing, The Southern California Library (The People's Library)
• Matt Howard, Iraq Veterans Against the War
• Lori Hurlebaus, Under the Hood Cafe and Outreach Center

This month's digital dialogue featured two of our three new Anchor organizations to MAG-Net, expanding our media justice fight in the Southeast and Midwest – The Highlander Research and Education Center and The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center.  In our continued efforts to strengthen and build a network that truly reflects the make-up of the communities most affected by unjust media policies, we're please to welcome these organizations that have been engaged in grassroots and movement building in rural and communities of color for many years.  Additionally, these Anchors bring decades of arts and culture organizing experience for movement building in rural and communities of color. 

Also joining our digital dialogue were Under the Hood Cafe and Outreach Center and Iraq Veterans Against the War, both groups have been doing organizing veterans and active duty soldiers around trauma and healing.  Finally we had The Southern California Library, a people's library dedicated to documenting and preserving the histories of communities in struggle for justice through photos, films, and oral histories.

We all recognize that we are living in exciting and unpredictable political times.  The occupy/decolonize movement has mobilized and raised the consciousness of the 99% to confront the 1% of corporate wealth.  What is the role of arts, culture and media organizations?  What does it mean to help amplify the voices and uplift the struggles of the 99%?  On this digital dialogue, we heard from cultural workers and organizers who are working with front line communities to advance social and racial justice.