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What is an "Artivist"?An Artist-Activist is someone who truly understands the sacred words, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Artists have the unique ability of transforming abstract feelings into tangible expressions that can be seen, heard, felt, or grasped. This makes the artist a conduit and medium for the all that would otherwise remain unheard and thereby cannot be acknowledged. Artist-Activists use this ability to highlight injustices and help bring understanding to the confused and oblivious. Artists can be found at the heart, spine, and soul of every movement as it is art that best communicates a message.
There are those who use their artistic ability for evil. Take, for example, the whitewashed image of Jesus Christ which was and is used to convey the message that God is white, thereby making white people the supreme beings and should rule over all. Fortunately, there have always been Artist-Activists who constantly pushed back against that lie with expressions of the truth. Songs, paintings, casting choices, and even sitcoms have been used throughout history to battle against racial oppression and other injustices. Some examples of Artist-Activists are Solange Knowles (singer), Banksy (painter/sculptor), and Kendrick Lamar (rapper/MC). |
Why this Artivist Now?
I find it crucial to always use my art to advance the truth and help people who may not recognize injustices due to the limited perspective provided by their privilege. I often use often examples of transgressions and compare them to equally horrendous acts that often go overlooked such as finding slavery horrific yet being accepting of having multiple slave owners be the face of U.S. currency, revealing that the United States is a culture that values money over life itself. I will always endorse freedom in a non-negotiable manner. I have a deep understanding of my always-growing knowledge and ability as an artist and believe within the depths of my core that with great power comes great responsibility.
Services Offered:
Workshops:
(Digital and In-Person Available)
(Digital and In-Person Available)
- How To Recognize the Racism in All Your Favorite Things - Breaking down the subtle yet powerful ways white supremacy infiltrates all of pop culture. Things such as teaching children that Santa Claus is real and memorizing all the words to Hamilton without having never listened to a Mobb Deep album are incredibly problematic and damaging to inclusiveness.
- How To Be Actively Anti-Racist in the Privacy of Your Own Home - Truly being anti-racist is difficult and takes a certain level of bravery. This workshop provides you with some basic skills and tactics to take those first steps to being a truly decent person.
- Skrull Lives Matter: Using The Marvel Cinematic Universe to Understand Othering and Microaggressions - For fans of Marvel! By using scenes and moments from the MCU, I explain how easy it can be to ‘other’ those who are different. What can we learn from Loki’s adoption? Captain Marvel’s haircut? Did Hawkeye seriously commit a bunch of hate crimes? And you sure as hell better believe Skrull Lives Matter!
Performances:
(Digital and In-Person Available)
(Digital and In-Person Available)
- How To Make A Country Great - A satirical cooking show about how to combine the ingredients to make a great country like the United States. The Bible is the cookbook.
- The Oppression Will Be Televised - Satire. A sales pitch for network executives for some upcoming problematic ideas for television shows. Note: The original production of this show highlighted the injustices in both the Aunt Jemima, Land O’ Lakes and NFL Washington franchise mascots, all of which have since ceased the use of their racist images. Did this show inspire those changes? You be the judge!
- 2016: A False Hope - PowerPoint Presentation of the long lasting impact of the events of the year and how they are propelling us into the second Civil War. Addresses how we got here and where we are headed if drastic changes are not taken.
- 2020: When Karen Strikes Black - PowerPoint Presentation. How 2020 became the year white people started paying attention and adapted to new ways to be complacent.
Work Samples
Spoken Word:
BDM by CJ Miller
Black deaths matter.
Since my life isn’t enough to garner your respect please,
allow me to offer you my death.
A tokenized appreciation that
you and I are facin’
It’s do or die in this nation
But it’s true lies that you’re making.
Black deaths matter.
Because that’s the only time we’re in the news.
It’s like y’all got muscle memory from when you had us in the noose.
So let me step back an’ examine what I’m askin’
Because let’s be real, y’all ain’t ever been known for compassion.
Tears? Yes, but only so you can have the attention.
Replaced 40 acres and a mule with a ‘like’ and a ‘mention.’
That’s my definition. Incite your position in spite of your decision to hide my disposition
You created a stereotype and kill me if I become it.
If I have a different dream, you’ll kill me if I want it.
If I’m sleeping, you’ll kill me.
If I’m jogging, you’ll kill me.
If I’m on the phone, you’ll kill me.
If I’m eating Skittles, you’ll kill me.
If I’m driving, you’ll kill me.
If I’m loving nature, you’ll kill me.
If I have a toy, you’ll kill me.
If I’m with my kids, you’ll kill me.
If I’m pregnant, you’ll kill me.
If I’m trans, you’ll kill me.
If I’m standing still, you’ll kill me.
If I’m breathing, you’ll kill me.
A hundred different things and for all of them, you’ll kill me.
The only thing they have in common is the killers are found “not guilty.”
Black deaths matter? I doubt it. Let’s face it.
Nothing about me matters. I learned that from the Natives.
Black deaths matter.
Since my life isn’t enough to garner your respect please,
allow me to offer you my death.
A tokenized appreciation that
you and I are facin’
It’s do or die in this nation
But it’s true lies that you’re making.
Black deaths matter.
Because that’s the only time we’re in the news.
It’s like y’all got muscle memory from when you had us in the noose.
So let me step back an’ examine what I’m askin’
Because let’s be real, y’all ain’t ever been known for compassion.
Tears? Yes, but only so you can have the attention.
Replaced 40 acres and a mule with a ‘like’ and a ‘mention.’
That’s my definition. Incite your position in spite of your decision to hide my disposition
You created a stereotype and kill me if I become it.
If I have a different dream, you’ll kill me if I want it.
If I’m sleeping, you’ll kill me.
If I’m jogging, you’ll kill me.
If I’m on the phone, you’ll kill me.
If I’m eating Skittles, you’ll kill me.
If I’m driving, you’ll kill me.
If I’m loving nature, you’ll kill me.
If I have a toy, you’ll kill me.
If I’m with my kids, you’ll kill me.
If I’m pregnant, you’ll kill me.
If I’m trans, you’ll kill me.
If I’m standing still, you’ll kill me.
If I’m breathing, you’ll kill me.
A hundred different things and for all of them, you’ll kill me.
The only thing they have in common is the killers are found “not guilty.”
Black deaths matter? I doubt it. Let’s face it.
Nothing about me matters. I learned that from the Natives.
- "Lessons Learned"
Talented and gifted is how you labeled little me.
Told me academics equals success. That’s how you riddled me.
Encouraged me not to speak out because you said the slope was slippery.
Turns out all along you were just trying to nigger me.
Pulled me out of class to let me know I was special.
Gave me the smartest white kids in the school to sit next to.
Brain teasers and math puzzles had my mind analyzing designs to find what you were trying to hide. Seek and
ye will discover the reality is there are so many others;
Paths to salvation no green card
necessary
No government-supported hate groups that
get praised as legendary.
You trained me to hate my own in ways that made my head spin.
Saw you cry at the word “nigger” and cheer at the word “Redskin.”
So I knew then there was a hierarchy for melanin
and pigmentation You said I’m a
felon and my race is pathetic and my
demonstration of respect and
civilization is deaded so ‘Stay in
your place kid.’
You made me memorize “Four score” and “O say, can you”
But you never taught about Miles’ trumpet or Thelonious’ piano.
Outside of school you made me watch The Godfather and The Princess Bride,
All the while, you tossed New Jack City and Smoke Signals aside. You even
filled my higher education with Tennessee Williams and Chekov But when it
comes to Mia Chung and Hudes you told me to step off.
But now I have all I need to destroy your system and watch it fall.
Because I learned everything you taught me and you don’t know me at all.
Told me academics equals success. That’s how you riddled me.
Encouraged me not to speak out because you said the slope was slippery.
Turns out all along you were just trying to nigger me.
Pulled me out of class to let me know I was special.
Gave me the smartest white kids in the school to sit next to.
Brain teasers and math puzzles had my mind analyzing designs to find what you were trying to hide. Seek and
ye will discover the reality is there are so many others;
Paths to salvation no green card
necessary
No government-supported hate groups that
get praised as legendary.
You trained me to hate my own in ways that made my head spin.
Saw you cry at the word “nigger” and cheer at the word “Redskin.”
So I knew then there was a hierarchy for melanin
and pigmentation You said I’m a
felon and my race is pathetic and my
demonstration of respect and
civilization is deaded so ‘Stay in
your place kid.’
You made me memorize “Four score” and “O say, can you”
But you never taught about Miles’ trumpet or Thelonious’ piano.
Outside of school you made me watch The Godfather and The Princess Bride,
All the while, you tossed New Jack City and Smoke Signals aside. You even
filled my higher education with Tennessee Williams and Chekov But when it
comes to Mia Chung and Hudes you told me to step off.
But now I have all I need to destroy your system and watch it fall.
Because I learned everything you taught me and you don’t know me at all.
Conference Papers & Presentations:
- May 3, 2019 Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium: "The Lye of Grease: An All-black Representation of an 'American' Classic" as part of "Emerging Scholars Panel" at Villanova University
- May 1, 2020 Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium: "Okurrr: An Intersectional Analysis of Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy and James Ijames’ TJ Loves Sally 4 Ever" as part of "Theatre For Social Change" at Villanova University
- June 7, 2020 "Why This Sing-Along Now" An over-Zoom performance of the historical impact of the obsession of Grease and how it remains stagnant in a world constantly trying to move beyond the mediocre whiteness that Broadway often caters to.
- January 18, 2021 Hosted Wings of Paper Presents the MLK Day Cabaret. An online event featuring artists Cydney Brown, Delaqua, Stephan Khaleed, Beatrice Allona, Jade Chandler, Charlie Barney