Countering Hate With Art

I'm proud to be launching a new effort to help counter anti-Asian American racism that has been rising since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic while supporting artists. It's called Countering Hate with Art, the newest program from The Slants Foundation.

At The Slants Foundation, we believe that art can play an important role in addressing hate by helping shift the conversation around racism and working to change the culture. Whether it is reappropriation, irony and satire, or expressions rooted in identity, we know that art can neuter hate. Art doesn’t just see the world for what it is, but for what it can be.

We are seeking art that sparks conversations about racism using compassion and empathy in an unconventional manner. More specifically, these are works that resemble an open letter to those who are directing negative and hateful acts towards Asians and Asian Americans. While their actions are not tolerated, we understand that hate is often fueled by pain, ignorance, and shame. We are looking for works of art that can build bridges with others by exploring ideas through an open letter. What kinds of questions would you ask? What do you wish those who are directing these racist ideas would see or understand?

During this time, we would like to support the work of artist-activists by offering grants to those working to address racism using their work. Multiple grants will be available up to $250 each. Additional grants will be available if we’re able to raise additional funding.

For more information, please visit www.theslants.org/counteringhate. If you would like to help by making a donation, we would greatly appreciate it. 100% of funds go directly to programming at The Slants Foundation.On Monday, April 27, I'll be hosting a Facebook Live video to answer questions about the program, speak about our efforts in supporting arts-activism, and recommend additional resources for artists. Please join me by RSVP'ing here.