Arts, Culture, and Community Activism in South Brooklyn

image: Agitate-Educate-Organize, Josh MacPhee

“Who better than artists and cultural workers to help us see a new world that our people can’t envision because we haven’t lived in it yet?” — activist Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson 

On Tuesday, December 6th, a group of South Brooklyn artists, cultural organizers, activists and policymakers explored the power of arts and culture to further social justice and a transformative recovery in their neighborhoods. The event was cosponsored with Arts & Democracy, City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, Kensington Cultural Council, and ArtBuilt.

The gathering provided an opportunity to:

• Share what folks are working on and how arts and culture are reimagining climate justice, migration, housing, public space, community safety and more. 

• Describe what is wanted in the future and what is needed to make it happen

• Connect with one another and seed possible collaborations between arts and activism

• Identify resources and policy recommendations to strengthen their work and local communities

This event was part of Reimagining New York City, a citywide series of visioning sessions and exchanges to incorporate the wisdom, imagination, and creative practices of community cultural organizations, artists, and neighborhood residents in decision making and transformative change.

Reimagining New York City is supported by The New York Community Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.