I grow more and more obsessed with New Haven by the day. Everyday, I learn more about the radical work BIPOC folks are doing here to restore dignity and justice to marginalized people—at scale. Especially through arts and culture. Highly intelligent, highly effective work that just needs more visibility, more hands, more tech and more money.
New Haven is creating models for sustainable, thriving cities, as Brooklyn Arts Council will do through their Brooklyn Innovation Platform. I am so honored that I get to be a witness and a strategist to help deliver these transformations.
I do feel cheated though. I wish the Yale Bubble didn’t keep me from connecting more intimately with New Havenites when I was here. I wish somebody had not only told us about the Black Panther Party’s history in the city but also connected us to their legacy, like all the activists forcing Yale to do right by this city.
It’s amazing the Renaissance that’s happened over the last few years. It truly is a story of transformation that we can all learn from. How to not stop fighting for what you want no matter how bleak it seems, how to support your community and receive their support, how to use art to convey your heart and how to not stop speaking until your voice is heard and demands are met.
If you’re reading this and you’re in the Yale Bubble, I dare you. POP IT.
It’s fascinating how little understanding the public has about the power of artists to shape our reality. Sick? An artist-herbalist can heal you. Tired? A culinary artist can nourish you with energizing food. Bored? A storytelling artist can entertain you. Confused? An educator artist can teach you. Lonely? A place-making Artist can create an experience in which you meet friends and potential lovers. Need God? A soul stirring music Artist can bring the sound of God into your heart.
I hope I get to see New Haven transform artist realities.
