activism

on

Originally published at Opine Season

I met a college student last month who didn’t understand why so many people were angry about blackface (as part of a Halloween costume). Like a lot of people, he just saw it as “dress-up,” not as any kind of provocative or political statement. After we had a conversation about the history of blackface, however, he got it. The problem was that a lack of historical perspective resulted in an incomplete picture.

Without an understanding of how power works, both in the present and historically, of course people are going to set up false equivalencies, push back against discussions of privilege, and refuse to engage with social justice issues. Frequently, if conversations about offensiveness and privilege aren’t also conversations about history and power, they don’t go anywhere.

In my work, I come across the false equivalencies that result from this lack of historical context with alarming regularity. A few common ones:

“If you think ‘Redskins’ is so offensive, why aren’t you also protesting the Vikings?”
Well, “Viking” isn’t a racial slur, first of all. But this also relates to any Indian-themed mascot—Chiefs, Indians, Braves, etc. The larger issue is that Scandinavian people don’t carry with them a centuries-long history of betrayal, oppression and genocide. Scandinavian people aren’t economically, politically and socially marginalized. And Scandinavian people aren’t currently protesting or speaking out about how Viking mascots/logos perpetuate harmful stereotypes and reflect the silencing of Scandinavian voices in other realms.

“How come Johnny Depp shouldn’t play Tonto but it’s okay for Idris Elba to play Heimdall, a Norse god?”
First, there’s the simple matter of numbers. “Whitewashing” characters happens a lot more than the opposite, especially when we’re talking about lead characters (as opposed to extras, comic relief, sidekicks, etc.). Second, the practice of casting white actors over actors of color is connected to a long, painful history of silencing the voices and experiences of people of color, normalizing whiteness and centering our collective mythology around heroes who are white.

I’d be fine (well, fine-ish) with a white Kaneda (in the proposed “Akira” adaptation) or a white Katara (in “The Last Airbender”) if there were a ton of other opportunities for Asian or Indigenous actors to get good work in Hollywood. But there aren’t. There are hardly any. “Colorblind casting” or “just trying to get the best actor for the role” are fine concepts in theory, but they almost always play out in harmful, status-quo-supporting ways.

“Why do people complain about women being objectified in media when men are too?”
Let’s use comics as an example. Yes, Batman has perfect abs. Namor wears some very revealing clothing. Most male superheroes have sculpted, sexy physiques too, just like the women.

But the objectification of women in comics is tied to the objectification of women in real life. Here’s a video game example: Liu Kang and Kitana might both have perfect bodies, lots of exposed flesh and non-existent personalities, but if they were real people, one of them would be making less money for performing the same fatalities.

There are many reasons why men outnumber women by such wide margins in politics, business and positions of power and authority in general. One of them is because women have had to deal with discrimination, paternalism, lack of representation and harmful stereotypes (less capable, too emotional, etc) for thousands of years. They’re also viewed as objects, in part because of how they’re represented in media.

“Why are so many artists speaking out against ‘Miss Saigon’ at the Ordway? That’s just censorship.”
Censorship is about power. A group of concerned citizens trying to convince a multi-million dollar institution to change, or trying to spread the word about the problems with the musical, or protesting outside the theater—none of this is “censorship.” (Be sure to read David Mura’s piece on this here).

Compare this to an educational institution reprimanding an educator who dared to have a discussion about racism in her class. Whether or not you use the word “censorship,” the power dynamics are simply different—and those power dynamics matter.

“I know what it’s like to be oppressed too because one time I was the only white kid in an African-American studies class!”
As all of these examples illustrate, oppression is bigger than “feeling uncomfortable.” It’s about representation, money, and power. It’s about how institutions are structured. It’s about history, and how historical events, trends and attitudes continue to affect the present. Without this larger perspective, conversations about social justice are likely to remain just that: conversations.

on

Originally published at Opine Season

Like many of us, I learned as a teenager that voting was the single most important thing a person who cared about creating change could do. In social studies and history classes, protest movements were generally referred to as things that happened in the past, and that today, we could only engage in the political process by casting a vote every few years.

In college, I learned that this wasn’t true. I learned that real change happens because of organized social and political movements on the ground that put pressure on politicians or even work outside existing power structures to create positive, sustainable change. Voting (particularly in a two-party system dominated by corporate money and power) was treated as a distraction, a way for the powers-that-be to co-opt struggles and ultimately weaken them.

Both viewpoints find avatars in this recently-viral debate between comedian Russell Brand and journalist Jeremy Paxman. Brand argues that to vote is to be complicit in a system that does not care about common people, while Paxman continually returns to the point that voting is just how democracy works.

It took a long time for me to unlearn this “either/or” framework. Both sides of the debate are easy to embrace (one is practical and realistic, the other beautiful and revolutionary) and simultaneously easy to denounce (one represents drone-like assimilation into a harmful system, the other pie-in-the-sky abstract idealism). And both sides are flawed.

For me, it boils down to strategy vs. tactics. If you care about, for example, environmental justice, or the prison industrial complex, or combating poverty, “voting for the right candidate” is not a winning strategy. Challenging massive, entrenched systems takes mass movements encompassing an array of tactics—educational campaigns, media campaigns, direct action, marches, rallies, boycotts, canvassing, building trust and community, and much more.

But that doesn’t mean that electoral politics can’t be one facet of this larger strategy. Running for office, attempting to influence people already in power and voting can all be useful tools when incorporated tactically and intentionally into a movement.

Elections represent a few important opportunities. First, they’re winnable. Even small victories are something concrete and energizing, which helps sustain larger movements (when these victories are put in a means-to-an-end context and not treated as ends themselves). Second, they’re a great media force-multiplier: because so many people still see voting as the primary way to “get involved,” a specific candidate can sometimes spread the word about an issue further than a broader activist campaign can; they may even be able to mobilize people who wouldn’t otherwise get involved. Finally, elections can put good people into positions of power. We’re not just talking about the president here—this is about school boards, city councils, state reps and more. Local elections are a power bottleneck, and it just makes tactical sense to take advantage of them.

This year, I’m particularly excited about Ty Moore’s city council campaign here in Minneapolis. Moore is a committed activist, with experience working on the ground with Occupy Homes MN and a wide range of other struggles. He has so much experience, in fact, that when I first heard he was running, part of me asked “won’t this distract from the other good work he’s involved in?” But seeing how his campaign has grown, witnessing the community support that has blossomed around it, and talking to Moore himself, I’ve become convinced that his bid for city council really illuminates a lot of what I’m writing about here.

Occupy Homes MN is one of the most inspiring activist campaigns I’ve ever seen, and in their endorsement of Moore they stated:

“As our movement grows, it is critical for us to transform our grassroots demands into concrete policy change. Having a grassroots champion like Ty on the city council can help us turn Minneapolis into a nationwide leader in policies to ensure safe affordable quality housing is a human right for all and that we have democratic control of our homes.”

Voting can matter. Getting good people into office can matter. Neither Moore himself nor Occupy Homes MN are naïve enough to believe that getting Moore elected will be any kind of magic key; but they can see the possibilities. And those possibilities are worth fighting for.

Voting by itself is never going to change the world, but neither is anything “by itself.” Movements are big, complex, multi-layered organisms. If we care about creating change, we have to reject the narrow views of how change happens, and embrace every opportunity to make our communities– and our world– better.

on

Originally published at Opine Season

Every year in recent memory, October is when progressive writers, bloggers and activists try to convince people that dressing up like a stereotype of someone else’s culture for Halloween is maybe not such a great idea.

There is now an online treasure trove of writing on the subject, and each autumn adds a few more thoughts to chew on, even if the overall message remains the same. Here are a few examples, including this one from my own blog:

Here’s the thing: I know “you weren’t trying to be racist.” I know that “I’m not getting what you were going for.” I know you think your costume is just “riffing on stereotypes” or only represents “one specific character, not an entire race.” But dressing up as a caricature of someone else’s culture is still a terrible, uncreative costume idea and you should have thought of something better.

Thea Lim at Racialicious breaks down the bigger issue:

The reason why “ethnic costumes” are so problematic is because they posit a cultural identity as a costume – they compress the complexity and intricacy of an entire culture into dress-up; into something that anyone (or really, usually someone with class and race privilege) has the right to use for the most superficial purposes.

Adrienne K. at Native Appropriations talks about how this isn’t just politics or PC-policing; it’s about human beings. There is an emotional cost:

Last night I sat with a group of Native undergraduates to discuss their thoughts and ideas about the costume issue, and hearing the comments they face on a daily basis broke my heart. They take the time each year to send out an email called “We are not a costume” to the undergraduate student body–an email that has become known as the “whiny newsletter” to their entitled classmates. They take the time to educate and put themselves out there, only to be shot down by those that refuse to think critically about their choices.Your choices are adversely affecting their college experiences, and that’s hard for me to take without a fight.

Students at Ohio University came up with a powerful poster campaign fighting back, as Jorge Rivas writes in this piece for Colorlines:

“This is happening across the country. It’s not just here in Athens, Ohio,” says Williams, who is the president of a student group at Ohio University called Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS). The group, made up of 10 students, has created an educational campaign called “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” that juxtaposes images like the one Williams saw last year with an actual African-American student. It adds a simple statement: “This is not who I am, and this is not okay.”

And time and time again, there are the same responses:

It’s not a big deal. People are just having fun. Get over yourself.

No matter how many times I hear these responses, I’m baffled. I get that most people don’t have access to high-quality multicultural education or in-depth conversations about oppression. I get that most people, especially people coming from privilege, aren’t constantly engaged with these issues. But this isn’t exactly social justice rocket science.

We’re not talking about reparations or the need for an armed rebellion to overthrow white supremacy here. This is just about having the common decency to not treat someone else’s culture like a prop, to choose one of the millions of other Halloween costume ideas out there rather that one of the few dozen racist ones.

It is mind-boggling to me how this debate is always framed as “why shouldn’t I be allowed to dress up like a stereotype?” as opposed to “why would you want to dress up like a stereotype?” But that’s how power works. Some people get the benefit of the doubt, some don’t.

The burden shouldn’t be on people of color to “prove” that something is offensive; the burden should be on the (overwhelmingly, but not exclusively) white kids who consciously choose to dress as stereotypes to explain their awful choices.

Of course, they will. They will rationalize and whine; they will get defensive and try to derail the conversation. But the pressure to think critically and cultivate empathy will be on them.

And some will get it. Some may only need a little push. I encourage people to re-post any of the articles linked to above; continue this conversation in whatever spaces you have access to. I hate that we have to start with facepalm-inducing stuff like “blackface makeup = bad,” but the conversation around racist Halloween costumes has the potential to be a gateway for so much more. This is never just about Halloween; it’s about whose stories and histories are valued in our society. It’s about how stereotypes dehumanize entire communities and lead to policies and practices that hurt people. It’s about making the connections between the so-called “little things” (like Halloween costumes, but also like Miss Saigon at the Ordway, the name of the football team based in our nation’s capital, and much more) and the larger reality of oppression.

Finally, for the inevitable comments that accompany any piece like this, a few preemptive responses:

If it’s “not that big of a deal,” then it should be super easy for you to just choose a different costume.

If the only way you can “just have some fun” on Halloween is to choose a costume that you know offends people, that is kind of sad.

And if you’re angry that someone has the audacity to point out that your costume is offensive, I guess all I have to say is this:

Get over yourself.

on

Originally published at Opine Season

Because this is something that’s come up at almost every workshop, discussion or event I’ve been part of recently, I wanted to post a kind of quick-and-dirty social media training for activists and artists. Then I remembered our wonderful editor Matt Peiken, however, and how he’s always been good about reminding me that this is an op-ed blog. So let me put this in the form of an opinion:

“Social media” as we know it has been around for a decade now, and there is no excuse for any progressive organization (or artist, or business, etc.) to not take full advantage of its power. It’s time to stop making rookie mistakes. It’s time to stop going through the motions and thinking that just because your organization or campaign has a Twitter, that that means anything.

So in that spirit, I wanted to gather a few helpful tips, tricks and strategies for people—particularly activists and artists—who want to use social media more effectively. This won’t be a guide on how to get a million followers or an in-depth look at web analytics or anything—more of an intro for those who might know the basics, but still feel a little intimidated.

Which Platforms Are Most Important?
There are many social media platforms out there, but we’re going to focus on Facebook and Twitter. Those two are vital, whether you’re a nonprofit trying to reach more people with your message or an up-and-coming rapper trying to build your brand. YouTube is a big one too, but using it is a little more self-explanatory; furthermore, mastering Facebook and Twitter will help you use YouTube more effectively too.

It’s definitely worth it to look into Tumblr and Instagram too (and SoundCloud if you’re a musician). These are all growing and can be very useful tools. For the sake of space, though, let’s focus on Twitter and Facebook.

A Few General Tips:

  • Have a home-base. For me, my social media sites are tentacles all reaching out from my primary site. Whether your home-base is a professional website you built, or a wordpress blog, or even a Tumblr, it’s good to have one. This is the place where people can find all the information they’d ever need about you or your organization. When you’re posting on social media, you can post links that lead people back to your primary site.
  • Don’t link your Twitter and Facebook accounts together. There are tools that will let you do this, so you only have to post in one place instead of two. But as we’ll see below, the two platforms have different rules when it comes to posting. Better to do a little extra work and keep them separate.
  • Post videos and photos, not just text status updates. People like looking at things more than just reading about things. Take advantage of all the media at your disposal.
  • Engage with others. Don’t forget the “social” element of social media. These aren’t just platforms for you to promote yourself. That’ll be part of what you do, of course, but to really maximize your reach, you have to have conversations, promote other people’s work, ask questions, get into debates, reach out to others and engage.

Twitter: Tips and Tactics
Of these two platforms, Twitter is arguably looser and more flexible. It works as a tool to promote specific events or links, but its real value is its ability to broadcast your personality and build your brand. It lends itself to random thoughts, jokes, links to good articles, questions, and whatever’s on your mind.

Obviously, don’t go overboard. Posting a hundred times per day is not a good strategy. But don’t overthink it. The quality of your posts is more important than their frequency, at least with Twitter. A few tips:

  • The first question everyone asks: how do I get more followers? There’s no magic key. If you follow a lot of people, some of them will follow you back. If you say insightful things or post interesting content, people will “RT” (retweet or re-post) what you’ve posted, and more people will follow you. If you engage with others and have conversations, more people will follow you. Most importantly (by far), if you exist in the real world and do good, interesting things in real life, more people will follow you.
  • Engage with people. Have conversations. Remember, though, that when you START a tweet with someone’s handle (@theirname), only people who follow you both will see it. So if you want a larger audience for a tweet that’s directed at someone, just throw a period at the beginning. For example “.@elguante you are my hero.”
  • A hashtag (#something) is a way to find people from all over talking about the same subject. If you’re talking about racial justice, and you add #racialjustice at the end of your tweet, you can then click on that and see everyone else in the world who is posting with that same hashtag. If you’re at an event, rally or march, this can be a powerful organizing tool too—if everyone is posting with a (for example) #rallyforjobsMN hashtag, everyone can be on the same page.

Facebook: Tips and Tactics
Twitter is fun, but right now, Facebook is where most of your engagement is really going to happen. When I post links back to my primary website on both platforms, usually about 90% of the traffic is driven there by Facebook.

The rules are different, though. While Twitter sometimes rewards constant posting, Facebook does not. You can post links and/or status updates on your page (we’re not talking here about your personal profile, but the “Page” you’ve set up as your business, organization or artist), just like Twitter, but only a fraction of your audience actually sees what you post (you can see this at the bottom of any of your posts; it’ll say something like “475 people saw this post.”)

For example, I have almost 5,000 likes on the Guante page. If I post a new song or a link to an event, usually around 1,000 people “see” it. Sometimes it’s more; sometimes it’s as low as 200. You can pay Facebook to make a particular post reach more people, but who wants to do that? Luckily, there are some effective tactics to get around that:

  • The key word is intentionality. Resist the urge to post whenever you have a thought. You have to consider time of day, frequency of posts and other factors. I generally post once in the morning (around 8am) and once at night (around 9pm), because that’s what I’ve found to be effective when it comes to maximizing my reach. But I’m an artist; your audience might be online at different times, especially if you’re an activist organization or a nonprofit. Trial and error.
  • I try not to post more than twice per day. A lot of people I know only post once per day. Some do more, but again—the more you post, the more you dilute the power of an individual post. I don’t have the tech background to understand how this works, but it’s what I’ve found.
  • Strive for interactivity; rather than just posting a link to an event, post the link and try to start a conversation about that event. Ask questions. Show your personality.
  • Don’t forget about the “use Facebook as your page” button. If you add other pages to your page’s “favorites” list, you can then log in as your page (as opposed to your personal profile) and comment on their posts. This is a great way to increase your visibility and build community.

Why All This Matters
Having a social media presence is never enough. Real success—whether you’re running a political campaign or just trying to get famous—comes from hard work, old-fashioned face-to-face outreach/networking, and substance. But social media is still an invaluable tool, one tactic in what has to be a larger strategy.

Of course, it’s about the work first. Having a million Twitter followers to promote to doesn’t mean anything if the work itself isn’t worthwhile. But you’re probably doing good work. If that’s the case, it is not just in your best interest to promote it, it your responsibility to promote it. Social media will never be the only way to do that, but in 2013, there is no reason not to take advantage of its power.

This is all clearly just the tip of the iceberg, though. What strategies, tips and tactics have worked for you or your organization?

on

I’ve been writing a weekly/bi-weekly column for MN-based op-ed co-op Opine Season since March (along with Ricardo Levins Morales, Kao Kalia Yang, Vina Kay and more). I usually re-post them here, but I’ve been so busy with new videos, new music, events and other stuff that I’ve let a few slip by. Just wanted to catch up:

How to Completely Miss the Point in a Conversation About Racism
The day after the Zimmerman verdict, I wrote a piece about white people and anti-racism that got a couple hundred thousand hits and a ton of comments. This piece is the follow-up to that, meant to address some of the critical comments and move the conversation forward.

In Defense of the “PC Police”
If you’ve seen my “A Visit from the PC Police” video, this piece contains a few supplemental thoughts on the power and importance of language.

Both Sides of the “Is Poetry Dead” Debate Miss the Big Picture
Another piece in what feels like an endless series of essays by me trying to position spoken-word as an art form and cultural movement that, you know, matters.

Let’s Vision: What Can the Arts/Activism Scene in the Twin Cities Look Like?
I’m interested in using my column to share thoughts, but also be a platform for you to share yours as well. Check out my ideas about some things I’d like to see our scene do more or do better, and leave some thoughts of your own.

Think Twice Before Telling People to “Shut Up About Miley Cyrus”
On Miley Cyrus, Macklemore, Robin Thicke and why the so-called “little things,” the pop culture moments that everyone gets up in arms about, really do matter.

BONUS: I also reviewed Earl Sweatshirt’s “Doris” over at Reviler.

More to come. Check out my full Opine Season archive here.

on
(Syria: photo from AP/The Guardian)

The other day, hip hop artist Dessa tweeted this: “Alright, all you informed activists. I’m moved by the situation in Syria. I don’t know how to help. Suggestions?”

This is a very common question– not just about Syria, but about any number of causes. As someone who people call an “activist” (though I could definitely do more to live up to that, and be more involved in any number of important struggles than I am), I get this question a lot– from students, from fellow artists and from random people on the internet. I don’t have answers, but a few thoughts:

1. The Power of Education and Media
“Media activism” sometimes gets looked down on as a form of “slacktivism,” as a bunch of people posting Facebook statuses dedicated to ending world hunger or re-tweeting some vaguely political statement made by Lupe Fiasco. And sure, social media isn’t going to save the world. But let’s not pretend that every person using social media, writing letters-to-the-editor or designing stencil graffiti patterns is intending to “save the world.” Political, social and cultural change is a big, long-term process, made up of many different strands– some concrete and immediately impactful, others more intangible and long-term.

Media activism is about spreading information. It’s about education. It’s a bottleneck through which we can have a lot of impact for minimal effort– and “minimal effort” isn’t automatically a bad thing. You can’t build a movement around any issue if people don’t know anything about it. And you can’t win if people don’t care.

So yes, whether you have 100 Facebook friends or 100,000 Twitter followers, spread the word about the issues you care about. Find someone more knowledgeable than yourself and help amplify their voice. Write letters and op-eds. Shoot a PSA. Create poetry and visual art and film based on the things you care about. None of this by itself will change anything, but change won’t come without it either.

Related: “Beyond the Benefit: 3 Ways Artists Can Have a Concrete Impact on the Election and the Larger Movement”

2. Make Global Issues Local
Whether you’re talking about war and torture in Syria or poverty and oppression anywhere else in the world, it is neither possible nor helpful for you to want to “go somewhere and save everyone.” That’s not the right attitude to have. Instead, research the issue. Figure out the connections between what’s going on “over there” and your own community. It’s not too unlike poetry– you have to take big, abstract ideas and make them manageable.

It’s the difference between holding a rally to demand that the US stop supporting Israel and engaging in a targeted, tactical divestment campaign within the local university. It’s the difference between protesting “war and imperialism” and setting up a counter-recruitment booth at a school or community event where the military is trying to recruit kids. It’s the difference between saying “I’m against racism” and organizing a weekly facilitated discussion where you and your neighbors can talk about their experiences and build. It’s the difference between supporting LGBTQ rights, voting for LGBTQ rights, and volunteering to campaign to get 1000 people to vote for LGBTQ rights. The list goes on and on.

When problems like the violence in Syria, or global warming, or global poverty are so huge, we have no choice but to think tactically, use the power of own communities and…

3. Organize Together
If there’s an issue that you care deeply about, you’re probably not alone. Google it. Find an organization. Find a crew of like-minded people with whom you can work. Maybe they’ll have ideas about what to do, or maybe they’ll be as confused and inexperienced as you. But this is how movements start: people identify a problem, get together, and do something about it. One person may not be able to make a difference when it comes to fighting these huge world problems, but one person can definitely make a difference in the context of an organization. For Twin Cities readers, be sure to check out the MN Activist Project, which lists a bunch of good local activist organizations.

This is also about understanding, however, that sometimes there’s nothing you can do. Well, that’s not quite right. There’s always something you can do– that’s what this essay is about. But there isn’t always a clear path, easily-identifiable solution or action point. Using Syria as an example, you can try to pressure your own government to adopt a particular stance (diplomacy & sanctions vs. arming the opposition vs. all-out invasion vs. whatever), or you can donate to a particular charity that is involved with helping civilians, or you can organize a rally for awareness, but you can’t march over there and punch Assad in the face. “Activism,” as I understand it, is about recognizing both the power you have and the power you don’t have, and forming a plan from there.

Whether the issue is intensely personal or big and abstract, local or global, well-known or unknown, it can always be addressed somehow. Movements of everyday people have won, time and time again. I think these three points are important first steps to consider, but there’s always more– anything anyone would add?

Related: “Where Does Change Come From?” and “Five Steps Toward Getting Involved“

on
(Soundset crowd; photo jacked from bbgunbilly.com)

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with benefit concerts (usually). Artists will always be involved in raising money for charities, campaigns and organizations, and that’s cool. But as any organizer will tell you, raising money isn’t the end goal. And artists have a lot more to offer.

Here’s the thing: I’m not asking artists to take leadership roles in social movements or do anything that affects their income. I’m also not asking anyone to change their style or preferred subject matter. I’m just saying that artists– especially rappers and musicians– are uniquely situated to make a big difference in the upcoming election (and in activist movements beyond that) because of our networks and promotional capabilities. In a perfect world, we’d all get directly involved in activist campaigns, but I know that reality doesn’t always allow that to happen. So here are three examples of easy, concrete things that artists can do to make a difference:

1. INTENTIONALLY USING OUR PLATFORMS TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES
We know that in elections, cities (especially the TC) generally vote progressive, and the suburbs and rural areas generally don’t. Obviously, a lot of this has to with demographics, but there’s also the fact that progressive campaigns are easier to organize in big cities. So who has access to thousands of people outside of the metro area? Touring artists. When you play shows in Bemidji or Brainerd or Winona or Duluth or Rochester or St. Cloud or Morris or wherever (including the Twin Cities, because we shouldn’t make the assumption that everyone here is “already down,” because they’re not), that’s a tremendous opportunity. Standing on stage in front of 800 mostly-white, politically-moderate young people? That’s a gift. Touring artists have the potential to reach and influence thousands of potential voters and potential activists.

All it takes is a minute out of your 45-minute set to say a few words about, for example, the upcoming photo ID and marriage amendments and why we should all vote no on both. Or maybe you tell people about the Occupy Homes movement and the amazing work that they’re doing. Or maybe you just direct people to a table that has information on how to get involved with whatever local movement is going on, or to register to vote, or whatever. If you’re not comfortable speaking about this stuff, connect with an activist who can. Or hell, get at me and I’ll come to your show and talk.

The key word is “intentional.” A lot of artists are on some “I don’t want to be preachy; my music encourages people to think for themselves” and that’s cool but it’s wasted potential. Sharing resources isn’t being preachy. Connecting your art to something substantive and positive doesn’t make you self-important or whatever. It’s just a concrete, effective way to leverage the fact that we have audiences, audiences that activist movements can’t always reach as easily. That’s power– and it’s wasted if it’s not realized.

2. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PROMOTIONAL NETWORKS
It doesn’t just have to be in real life, either. Artists have access to email lists, Facebook fan pages, Twitter accounts with lots of followers and more. If you’re on Twitter, follow accounts like Take Action MN or MN United or Jay Smooth or any other activist, group or campaign and re-tweet stuff every once in a while. Obviously, posting articles and links on Facebook and Twitter doesn’t change the world by itself, but when an artist has ten thousand “likes” or five thousand Twitter followers, it really does make a difference. Ripple effects can happen.

In this case, it’s not even artists who are necessarily important– it’s just anyone with a large network. Artists tend to have larger networks than civilians, but maybe you’re just a cool kid with five thousand Facebook friends– this applies to you too, then. Spread the word– “media” isn’t just the nightly news, pop radio and the newspaper– it’s all of us. We are the media, and we can transmit the information we want people to know about.

3. THE POWER OF PERSONALITY
Is it fair that so many people pay more attention to their favorite rapper than their congressional representative? Maybe not. But it’s also a reality, and we can use it. If you’re even a halfway-successful artist, people are paying attention to you. People like some aspect of what you’re about. Maybe they just think you’re cute. Maybe they think you’re brilliant. Maybe they just like you because their friends like you– it doesn’t matter. Related to the other two points, this one is about taking advantage of your position as a beloved or semi-beloved public figure.

This can be as simple as wearing a “vote no” t-shirt on stage or adding a political note on your Facebook page’s banner. Another great option is to record a simple video PSA about an issue that you’re passionate about and then share it widely. Here’s an example:

And I’ll be real: this isn’t about altruism. I don’t expect artists to do all this stuff out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s about building community and creating sustainable synergy: when you take a stand or get involved, that helps you and your career too. It opens up new audiences for you. It adds depth and substance to your artistic persona. It simply gets your name out there more. These are all positive things– everybody wins.

A sold-out show at First Ave. that doesn’t include any of the above is a wasted opportunity. Even a lightly-attended show at Honey or the Nomad that doesn’t include any of the above is a wasted opportunity. It might still be a great show and a lot of fun– I’m just saying that as a community, we have the potential to do so much more.

I believe that artists are uniquely situated to have an impact on not just the upcoming election, but on the progressive movement as a whole (because let’s be real: there’s going to be a hell of a lot of work to do no matter what happens in November). But we have to be intentional. We have to be clever. We have to be proactive. Feel free to leave any other ideas or suggestions in the comments.

RELATED: Artist/Activist Partnerships: Five Tips for Booking Your Benefit

on
(photo by See More Perspective, who has a new song out)

A few months ago, I wrote this essay for WIN Magazine, and now it’s out: Artist/Activist Partnerships: Five Tips For Booking Your Benefit.  It also includes a basic history of the Hip Hop Against Homophobia series.  If you’re an activist event organizer, it may be worth a read.  I think it’s important to be very intentional (a word I use about a hundred times in the essay) about collaboration, and that’s really what the piece is all about.  Feel free to share.

A few other random updates:

1. My poem REACH is featured at Indie Feed (audio) and at Button Poetry (video). If you like spoken-word, these are both major resources you should know about.

2. I’m currently booking shows for Fall, Winter and Spring, both spoken-word shows and/or Guante & Big Cats shows. If you have any contacts (especially at colleges and universities– activist organizations, hip hop or spoken-word organizations, social justice student centers, performing arts committees, etc.), shoot me an email at elguante@gmail.com and we can set something up.

3. We didn’t win the National Poetry Slam, but we did eat a lot of southern food. I have some great videos of my team— will post them this month sometime. Also got into a constructive discussion on my Facebook page about slam, democracy, elitism, sexism and more.

4. Ayo I’m on Wikipedia now. I don’t know who set up the page, and there are a couple of small errors, but thanks. Here it is. Guess I can retire now.

5. Finally, big new Guante & Big Cats album announcement coming up soon. We finished the second round of mixes today and now just have to send it away to get mastered and duplicated. We’ll be releasing the tracklist, album cover, release party details and some videos and songs over the next two months. The album is called YOU BETTER WEAPONIZE and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.  Stay tuned.