The arts have played a critical role in every social movement imaginable, from the songs chanted during the Civil Rights Movement to the iconic posters of the Women’s March. It is important for our young womxn to explore the artistic tools available to them to amplify their voice and ultimately be able to see themselves as having the power to make social change.
Throughout November 2018, Teen Center girls explored activism through art (artivism), social justice, and street art. They analyzed poster prints of diverse movements including Women’s Liberation, United Farmworkers, Black Lives Matter, and LGBTQ rights. In turn, the girls saw firsthand how powerful the arts can be to elevate the voices of marginalized communities and speak out against violence and oppression.
We also highlighted the work of contemporary womxn artists like Favianna Rodriguez, Jessica Sabogal, and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, who create prints, stencils, and murals and use street art to engage the public in conversations around violence against womxn, immigration, environmental justice, and reproductive justice. Their work inspired the teens to discuss their own experiences with these issues as well as to celebrate the courageous womxn and girls who are using their voices for social change.
From our dialogue, every teen came up with a social message that they felt needed to be shared with the world and had the opportunity to make their own stencils and prints.
It is important for our young womxn to explore the artistic tools available to them to amplify their voice and ultimately be able to see themselves as having the power to make social change.
This blog post was written by Brenda Mendoza Alamo, Teen Center Director. Note: the use of “x” in womxn is used in this post to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.