Read

Watch

Lifting up Black Stories: 3 Artists Fighting Racism

Creator:
Published:
December 19, 2023
June 2, 2020
Watch how these three black artists confront racism through art, songwriting, and movie making.|Watch how these three black artists confront racism through art, songwriting, and movie making.

The protests and violence disrupting our communities are signs that we need a new vision for society. We are ready for a new way to be Americans and people of faith and goodwill together — it’s long past time for us to make that new world a reality. 

One way to see what it takes to build that new world can be glimpsed in the efforts of black artists who have been leading us in that direction for a long time. Here are three artists who have been using their craft to explicitly confront racism. Witnessing their work will allow us to imagine it for ourselves — and by imagining it, start to do it. 

Miles Regis

 

 

LA-based artist Miles Regis creates art for social justice and to bring about change. It's not just paint, and it's not just anger — Miles's work transcends both.

"There’s a lot to be angry about,” Miles says. “I’m not gonna apologize for expressing my truth. At the end of the day, that’s what an artist needs to do."

David Bailey

 

 

David Bailey founded the Urban Doxology Songwriting Internship to invest in young people and create new culture by helping them write songs that facilitate healing and justice. They write songs of healing, songs of hope, songs that will help to bring people together in unity.

"We have two choices: either we could be a part of the problem or we can be part of the solution,” David says. “And each of us has a piece to play and therefore we work together and create a beautiful picture of what we hope to see in the world."

Ayana Baraka

 

 

Ayana Baraka is the creator of an upcoming historical film about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Filmed on the actual Greenwood Avenue, this film is both a way to preserve history and bring healing.  In fact, Ayana just released the virtual reality project to YouTube.

"When you film on the land with the ancestors of folks who were murdered or who survived, it resonated,” Ayana says. “And I think that was powerful, and that was the best takeaway."

We know that sharing stories is a key part of the transformation we need to undergo. We need to seek out and embrace stories of people exposing inequality and meeting it with representation. It’s not enough to do only that, but it is a start. 

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
December 19, 2023
June 2, 2020
On a related note...
3 Lessons from Two Saints Being Canonized Today

3 Lessons from Two Saints Being Canonized Today

Mike Jordan Laskey

Building Community Bridges with ASL

Building Community Bridges with ASL

Grotto Shares

These DIY Food Pantries are Feeding the Community

These DIY Food Pantries are Feeding the Community

Grotto

Why You Need a New Hobby (Even if You're Not Creative)

Why You Need a New Hobby (Even if You're Not Creative)

Grotto

St. Rita of Cascia Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Rita of Cascia Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Finding Humor and Healing in Recovery

Finding Humor and Healing in Recovery

Grotto

5 Things Every Beginner Cook Needs to Know

5 Things Every Beginner Cook Needs to Know

Lauren Lawson

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

Marty Moran

Grotto’s Travel Guide to the Twin Cities

Grotto’s Travel Guide to the Twin Cities

Andrew Mentock

An Injury Put Me on Crutches — And Taught Me 4 Important Lessons

An Injury Put Me on Crutches — And Taught Me 4 Important Lessons

Neil Fulton

Meatless Friday Recipe: Vegan Nachos

Meatless Friday Recipe: Vegan Nachos

Grotto

"The Attendants"

"The Attendants"

Barbara Lisette

Jail Tattoo Removal Ministry Gives Inmates a Fresh Start

Jail Tattoo Removal Ministry Gives Inmates a Fresh Start

Grotto

St. Edith Stein Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Edith Stein Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

What Should You Do if You Get in a Minor Car Accident?

What Should You Do if You Get in a Minor Car Accident?

Grotto

Empowering Girls to Be Bold Through Mentorship

Empowering Girls to Be Bold Through Mentorship

Grotto

Should You Go to Graduate School?

Should You Go to Graduate School?

Grotto

Speaking Out Against the Injustice of the Death Penalty

Speaking Out Against the Injustice of the Death Penalty

Grotto Shares

Free Download: How to Pray with Icons

Free Download: How to Pray with Icons

Grotto

How I Navigated Life as a First-Generation College Student

How I Navigated Life as a First-Generation College Student

José Radilla

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.