New American Representations of Power from Muralists of Color

This presentation and discussion will examine how representations of marginalized communities in public art can envision a new future toward racial, feminist, indigenous and ecological justice. How can murals and spoken word poetry illuminate the voices of so-called yellow, black and brown communities and empower them to reclaim their silenced histories as well as aid in expressing their current realities? How can the teaching and creation of public art be a democratic tool that empowers young people to take ownership of their identities and preserve indigenous and diasporic cultures? These issues will be raised and discussed with examples of our own efforts and art.