n OPINION
HOW THE ARTS CAN HELP BRING CHANGE
by Stacey Shelnut-Hendrick
A
s they say, timing is everything. I’m writing this on the
one-year anniversary of the death of Stephon Clark, an
unarmed African American man who was shot by two
Sacramento police officers in his grandmother’s backyard.
However you feel regarding the circumstances surrounding
Clark’s death and the district attorney’s decision March 2 not
to pursue charges against the officers, you likely felt the cloud
of despair that seemed to hover over the city that week.
I felt it, but I am an African American woman and the moth-
er of a 14-year-old son. I have become accustomed to constantly
feeling concerned over my son’s safety. But the D.A.’s decision,
followed two weeks later by the anniversary of Clark’s death
on March 18, and the resulting protests had all combined to
create a sense of frustration in me that felt truly palpable. I had
so many unanswerable questions: Where is the justice? Who
will protect my son and
other defenseless brown
children? How can I help
the city I love heal and
change?
Overwhelmed
and feeling a bit helpless,
I went about the “normal”
business of life, but things
were not right — not with
me and definitely not within Sacramento.
Looking for answers, I attended a community healing
circle held by Safe Black Space at Unity of Sacramento where
I experienced a spoken-word performance — a work of art. It
jolted me back to what I know to be true: Art has always been an
essential way people come together, find common ground and
express our shared humanity. I realized that if Sacramento is
going to be a city that not only works but thrives, the arts are key
to laying the foundation for what the Thriving Cities Group (an
organization focused on urban revival) describes as the four
C’s — conditions, connections, collaborations and commit-
ment — that form a community’s civic substructure.
Conditions: From cave drawings to singer Marian Ander-
son’s performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 to Shepard
Fairey’s Barack Obama “Hope” poster, art has been a way for
people to share their truths and aspirations. The arts help us
understand societal issues like racism and economic inequal-
ity. They allow us to sow the seeds of trust and to converse in
a socio-emotive state, rather than from a place of fear. In Sac-
ramento, arts organizations such as Sojourner Truth African
Heritage Museum, Sol Collective and Celebration Arts give
voice to the underserved and use the arts to inspire social
change. But these organizations struggle to stay open. Rath-
er than investing in them and the type of social capital they
create, as a city, we have elected to place our energy on react-
ing, such as with more police, rather than on efforts to form a
shared sense of community.
Connections: In “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival
of American Community,” author Robert D. Putnam argues
that as Americans have become wealthier, their sense of com-
munity has dwindled. As people spend more time working,
commuting and being on smart devices, they spend less time
volunteering, joining community groups, socializing with
neighbors and enjoying collective experiences. In 2015, the
Crocker Art Museum began its Block by Block initiative that ex-
emplifies how arts organizations can engage and build social
capital. Block by Block fo-
cuses
on
co-creating
experiences in and with
communities that have
traditionally not visited
the museum.
Now working primari-
ly in Sacramento’s Promise
Zone — federally desig-
nated areas disproportionately under-resourced compared to
other areas of the city — Block by Block has served more than
35,000 people through block parties, art activities at commu-
nity events and smaller pop-up experiences. To do this, the
Crocker employs a team of teens and emerging community art
and activism professionals to elevate the profile of the arts in
these neighborhoods.
Last year, the Crocker attended 22 community meetings,
participated in 59 events, co-created six pop-up experiences
and conducted art activities at eight youth-violence-reduction
programs. And the initiative emphasizes giving neighborhood
artists paid opportunities to perform. Through art, commu-
nity members can develop the sense of pride, security and
well-being that leads to a thriving city. Art will not necessarily
fix the lack of affordable housing or the legacy of racism and
current divides, but it can build understanding and provide fo-
rums for conversations that alter the attitudes and conditions
necessary for productive civic engagement.
Collaborations: The change we want in Sacramento will
come from a flourishing creative community that partners
with government, businesses, philanthropic forces and indi-
Art has always been an essential way people
come together, find common ground and express
our shared humanity.
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comstocksmag.com | May 2019