Trump and his views are inconsistent with, among other things, the spirit and values inherent in music and the arts. Art expands our horizons by revealing universal human values across diverse people, places, times and settings. Art courageously embraces and celebrates the different and the unknown, it does not fear, hate or bully them. In doing so, art connects us all and is inherently inclusive and democratic in spirit. Art transcends and elevates the self in a way that bigotry never can because bigotry is rooted in fear and hatred of things different than the self. Art is rebellious. It breaks through walls, it doesn’t build them.
It is not surprising that Trump wants to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and privatize NPR and PBS. The arts and humanities expand our perspective and sharpen our insight. These are the last things a propagandist wants.
When he declared in June 2015 (to a group of actors he had paid to cheer him) that he was running for President (apparently to protect America from Mexican immigrants or, as Trump called them, rapists and criminals), most people assumed he could never be the Republican nominee. But here he is. He lost the popular vote by 2.8 million votes but, with the help of Comey, Putin and the anachronistic electoral college, he is in the White House.
But there is strength in unity and power in art. From “This Land is Your Land” to “Only a Pawn in their Game”, from “Strange Fruit” to “American Skin”, from “Don’t Let the Bastards (Get You Down)” to “Uprising of Love”, and many more, artists have protested the status quo with poignancy, insight and raw emotion and inspired others to stand up against injustice, ignorance and corruption.
Please join in rebelling Against Racism & Trumpism, Including Senseless Toxicity, Sexism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Arrogance and Twisted Egotism -- ARTISTS X HATE.
Event announcements coming soon.
Artists Against Hate is an Indivisible registered group.
Links:
MoveOn.org https://front.moveon.org/
Indivisible https://www.indivisibleguide.com/