This month: what Dread Scott's art teaches us about the power of art to inspire collective action

Dr. Tia Smith performs in slave rebellion reenactment

Dread Scott’s Slave Rebellion Reenactment

When we found out our very own Dr. Tia Smith performed in the 2019 reenactment of the 1811 German Coast Uprising, we had to make a video about it. Dread Scott’s work shows us the power of art to not only make history visible but also embody the story of those who came before us—people who resisted, organized for freedom, and took revolutionary action.

Watch Tia’s powerful testimony of how it felt to walk in the footsteps of the ancestors and be transformed by the journey. And read our blog to find out why Scott changed the ending in his reenactment, and what that can teach us about the potential of cultural strategies to tell a new story about our shared history that inspires collective action.

Media Hooks Up-to-Date Through June

Gone are the days of planning editorial content one month at a time. We’ve updated media hooks through June so you can stay ahead of the curve. Upcoming events include the State of the Union, Academy Awards, March Madness, and both Women's History and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage months. Subscribe to our Editorial Calendar to never miss a hook.

Building Black Futures, Every Day

To celebrate Black History Month, we asked TOA staff to share the Black-led organizations they admire and look to for inspiration. From gender issues to cybersecurity, the groups on our list respond to anti-Blackness in all areas of work! Follow and support the organizations tagged on our Instagram carousel to learn from Black history and build a better future.

Thanks to The Kresge Foundation!

We are so grateful to The Kresge Foundation for their grant of $700,000 over two years to support the Immigrant Narrative Strategy Table. Working with movement leaders, this initiative aims to develop narrative strategies that shift the conversation and build public will for policies that welcome migrants, immigrants, and refugees. Visit The Kresge Foundation's website for more information on their work.

Thank You, W.K. Kellogg Foundation!

We also thank the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their $500,000 grant over two years to support the Immigrant Narrative Strategy Table. These generous grants will help develop messaging guidance and multimedia resources that push us toward our vision for immigrant justice despite the political headwinds. Visit the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s website for more information.

Culture Corner: Group photo with Salomé Egas

Salomé Egas Performs Más que un Pétalo

In January, we were lucky enough to get tickets to Salomé Egas’ (2023 Culture & Narrative Fellow) sold-out show "Más Que Un Pétalo” at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn. Hear what TOA staff and alumni of the Creative Change Retreat thought of the performance (spoiler alert: “it was amazing!”).

"Más Que Un Pétalo” is a 60-minute, one woman show where Salomé deconstructs the Ecuadorian immigrant experience in the United States. Dressed as a Taxo flower, a native plant to Ecuador, she slowly loses her petals to symbolize the “love me, love me not” messages immigrants hear daily in the media.

Through dance, theater, textile arts, original music, and stop-motion projections, the performance invites audiences on a journey towards self-acceptance and radical self-love. Celebrate her success by watching our staff recommendations of immigrant artists whose work we love and following Salomé Egas’ work.

Image credits: Scott Threlkeld, The Opportunity Agenda, The Opportunity Agenda, Susan Melkisethian, Fibonacci Blue, The Opportunity Agenda

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