Artolution.
A talk given by Ytasha Womack inspired this project. She wrote a book on Afrofuturism, which rewrites the narrative of the African diaspora through the lens of science fiction. Womack had the opportunity to speak to a group of kids in Chicago about Afrofuturism. When she asked the kids what they would like to see in the future, kids continued to say that they wanted the violence to end in their communities. Womack expected them to talk about flying cars and space travel, but the kids couldn’t get past the pressing issues that they faced. Violence in their communities was killing their imaginations.
Artolution is an organization that works with local artists within struggling communities. They involve kids in amazing, colorful, community murals. Everyone can participate in the artmaking process! The joy and pride on the kid’s faces illustrates how transformative creativity can be.
