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Artistic Expression & Social Justice

Poetry and other forms of artistic expression have a critical role in advancing social justice, which is the concept that each person should be respected and have equal rights and opportunities.
 
Art helps us process our experiences and emotions, including our struggles. Creative self expression can help us find renewal and hope after suffering from injustice. The process of creating art helps us become more present to our own selves, experiences, and emotions. By growing in awareness of ourselves, we also start to understand our shared humanity and connection to others as core parts of who we are.

Art helps us root out indifference and plants seeds of empathy and compassion in its place. It helps us carve out a little more space in our hearts and minds to hold the experiences and suffering of others. Once we come face to face with our shared humanity, it can no longer be ignored. The natural response to the sense of empathy and connectedness that we find through art is to act for social justice.

Larry's Poetry

Poetry has long been a passion for Larry, who says: “Poetry enables me to open myself to my deeper thoughts, to use language in unexpected ways, and to communicate with other people at a different level of meaning.  Also, it is a lot of fun.”
 
At NAC, we focus on advocating at the national level for an end to systemic injustices. But the heart of our work, and of any work towards social justice, is also personal.

Black Voices in Poetry

For #BlackHistoryMonth 2021, we highlighted the work of Black voices in poetry.

A compilation of all voices collected is available here.

Two samples are below:
Today we’re reading “Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson.

Johnson was a highly respected poet, novelist, and civil rights leader. Throughout his life, he led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), wrote numerous poetry collections, served as a teacher and principal, founded a newspaper that became a voice against racial injustice, was the first Black lawyer admitted to the Florida Bar since Reconstruction, and was an active political voice for civil rights.

Today we appreciate his works and draw inspiration from his life. Learn more at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/james-weldon-johnson
We celebrate Margaret Walker, a poet and novelist who was an important figure in the Chicago Black Renaissance.

Walker’s brilliant work has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Living Legacy Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the College Language Association, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts. She was also inducted into the African American Literary Hall of Fame and has received six honorary degrees.

Read more of her work.