Art of Justice raised awareness Tuesday in its first-ever show, “Speak Against Injustice,” at First Church UCC in Phoenix.
The Art of Justice is an open mic and art show that confronts systemic injustice through visual and performing arts. Their goal is to create a safe platform for personal expressions by connecting the audience with advocates for change.
The event was sponsored by First Church UCC in Phoenix and the featured organization, The Poor People’s Campaign.
An organizer of the event, Chris Crockett, aka “Nocturnal the Poet,” said that the church asked him to help out with an outreach event, which was when the idea of using poetry came to life.
“Our goal is to get the artists to speak up on social justice issues, bring the audience who is ready and willing to listen,” Crockett said.“Then (we) guide them to organizations that are on the ground and doing the action. So in that case, art becomes activism.”
Artists of the event were introduced to the stage to perform their own original piece. The performances were different works of art like poetry, performance and even a live painting done by Sabrina Reed.
The audience members interacted with the speakers and participated in some of their performances. One of the artists performed an improv piece based on random words that the audience suggested.
Towards the back of the room, attendees also learned more about the church and the Poor People’s Campaign, which sets out to address problems such as racism, poverty, ecological devastation, and the war economy.
Tables including food and drinks were also available to the attendees of the event. There was a designated area for people to write about their biggest societal concerns or a change that they wish they would see in the world. The answers would later be incorporated in the live artwork.
Jessie Giambra is a member of the Poor People’s campaign and was a participant speaker of the night.
“The Nature of the artwork of the featured artists along with the opportunity of having ordinary people get their stories heard and opening up that platform is really bringing power and centering to social issues,” Jessie said.
Featured artist and motivational speaker Truth B. Told, a nationally recognized spoken word artist who has won multiple slam competitions, also made an appearance at the show and shared a couple of his pieces, along with his perspective on social injustice. He interacted with the audience and asked for ideas in one of his pieces centered around equality.
His goal is to not only inspire the audience members but also leave them thinking about the words he had to say.
“I want you to be informed. I want you to be moved. I want to you disagree,” he said in regards to his work.
A lot of positive feedback was shown in the crowd that night. The audience members were cheering, snapping their fingers and dancing along to the music the artists played.
“We want to get the people involved. If you want to speak we are looking for more art forms,” Crockett said. “I would love to see some good storytellers in the future.”
The Art of Justice show occurs on the last Tuesday of every month with different topics and new featured poets and artists.
For questions, contact the reporter at Zoey.Shircel@asu.edu.
