T he heroine’s journey always involves taking a stand, and we are living in times that are rife with opportunities for each of us to scan the landscape, understand our own values, and then step up and fight for the things we believe matter. The artists in this month’s edition of Justice +Art have made their stances clear. Their work strengthens, solidifies, and emboldens us to blaze a path toward a more just world.
Music
Listen to Ms. Fischer’s rendition of the Beatles’ song, “Come Together.”
Ms. Lisa Fischer
It was no coincidence that Ms. Lisa Fischer was the star of JusticeAid’s concert: Stand Up! Fischer has always followed her own advice, choosing artistic experimentation over standard industry rules. It’s not often that a young star with a number one hit decides to step back from the headline role and stand behind other artists for collaboration and experimentation, yet Fischer turned this role into her way of standing up – an ingenious, career defining calculation, cementing her success to that of co-conspirators such as The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, and Sting. Flowing expertly through musical genres while allowing the creative genius of other artists to uplift her own, Ms. Lisa Fischer is a singular musical phenomenon who has stood exactly where she wanted to be and delighted her audiences every step of the way.
Fine Art
Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas (1891–1978) was a pioneering artist and longtime Washington, DC, teacher who began painting seriously after retiring from a 35-year career in education. Known for her radiant, mosaic-like abstractions inspired by nature, music, and light, Thomas developed a signature style of rhythmic color patterns that convey joy and movement. She was the first African American woman to earn a fine arts degree from Howard University and the first to have her work included in the White House art collection and featured in major museums such as the Whitney and the Smithsonian. More
Film
Anita Speaking Truth to Power
An entire country watched as a poised, beautiful African American woman sat before a Senate committee of 14 white men and with a clear, unwavering voice recounted the repeated acts of sexual harassment she had endured while working with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Anita Hill’s graphic testimony was a turning point for gender equality in the U.S. and ignited a political firestorm about sexual harassment and power in the workplace that resonates still today.
Against a backdrop of sex, politics, and race, the film reveals the story of a woman who has empowered millions to stand up for equality and justice. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Mock.
“Political theater that still has the power to make your blood boil.” – Los Angeles Times
Featured Writing
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
In The Hate U Give, novelist Angie Thomas creates a strong female heroine who must stand up for herself, her friends, her community, and for justice. Most of us can relate to the fear of being ostracized from a group for expressing beliefs that go against the popular narrative. Starr Carter, the heroine of Thomas’s story, faces this primal dread by leaning into her own sense of what is right and what cannot be tolerated. Even when it’s dangerous, Starr Carter takes a stand, and through her courage emboldens readers to examine which situations and relationships are really meaningful and worth preserving, especially when the personal cost can be devastating.
