Who tells the story? Fearless panelists do
Like the art they create, panelists at the recent “Who Tells the Story” panel discussion at Fountain Street Church were unapologetic when discussing their experiences surrounding issues artists of color face when moving throughout West Michigan.
Like the art they create, panelists at the recent “Who Tells the Story” panel discussion at Fountain Street Church were unapologetic when discussing their experiences surrounding issues artists of color face when moving throughout West Michigan. I was blown away by how candid the panelists were and how much of an impact they made by sharing their experiences as artists in West Michigan.
From being the token black, to the problems with “West Michigan nice,” to everything in between, the panelists shared their unbridled thoughts in this rare, uncensored conversation. The fearlessness of the artists opened up the audience to hear perspectives they may never have had the chance to hear before because the culture in West Michigan puts more emphasis on being nice than being honest.
Often, people of color and allies are encouraged to keep quiet about racism and white supremacy in order to keep a perceived peace. If we don’t speak up about the injustices we see, they will be easier to ignore, seemingly ceasing to exist. But injustice doesn’t go away if we just stop talking about it.
The opposite is true: the only way to reduce injustice is to bring it out into the open—and that is exactly what this panel did.
Moderator Steffanie Rosalez set the tone for the evening by letting the audience know that the discussion wasn’t about telling artists what they can and cannot create. Instead, she explained, this conversation would include conversation on how to create art around social justice well. Since criticism and attacking can often be seen as synonymous within the art community, specifically the white art community, it was important to set a clear tone for what the audience could expect to hear in the conversation.
One of the topics the panel discussed was the “white savior complex.” Spoken word poet, Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson expressed sentiments about the difficulties in weighing whether or not to take a job based on the the reason she’s being brought on board. Often, artists of color are asked to do projects to fill a diversity quota, she explained, and how it can be difficult to navigate these situations.
White artists, she explained, often receive more recognition than artists of color for creating similarly themed artwork. The irony of a white person winning recognition over herself about a “Black Lives Matter” theme was palpable.
White artists are often praised for taking on “activist art” because they are seen as doing something righteous. Unfortunately, this recognition often overshadows recognition people of color could be receiving for telling their own stories. Photographer Monroe “Akibang” O’Bryant referred to it as “the Eminem complex:” the reception that the white rapper receives when rapping about issues he himself does not have to face. The is far too common in art and the panel did a great job of breaking down why it is problematic.
Another topic that was discussed in great depth was “West Michigan nice.” While I had not heard the term before, I was very aware of how it showed up in the world around me.
“It’s not even nice,” explained artist Sofía Ramírez Hernández.“It’s just complete omittance—let’s just not talk about it.” Ramírez Hernández says her own artwork is viewed as controversial, even though she is only creating art that speaks to things that are going on in the world. People of color are often seen as difficult when attempting to speak out about mistreatment — but the panelists at this event were unmoved by that sentiment when tackling this topic. Kyd Kane also talked about how dangerous West Michigan nice is and how difficult it is to navigate through as a person of color.
Understanding that this conversation can go on forever—and hopefully it will continue—I am grateful for the panelists and how they were able to articulate thoughts and feelings that myself and many other people of color think and feel. While the conversation was far from easy, it was necessary and hopefully opened up the door to more like it.
“So often people don’t want to have difficult conversations because it feels unkind to hear that you’re doing something wrong,” explained Rosalez. The culture in West Michigan supports being nice at all costs. So far, that cost has been paramount to people of color because being quiet only furthers the reach and effect of white supremacy.
Disclosure: The author is in a relationship with one of the panelists, Ericka (Kyd Kane) Thompson.
