Juneteenth and Forward

Recent events and activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement call us to recommit our efforts as human beings on this planet to mitigate the damage we cause each other and our environment. Spinning out of control are our lives perpetuated by extreme wealth imbalance coupled with an imbalance of nature. Bringing our world back to balance should be the most immediate and urgent goal for all people. Some, however, maintain interests that are starkly contrasted with the survival of humanity on this planet. 

The government institutions in the United States, co-opted by corporate power, are working against the welfare and survival of the masses of citizens they supposedly represent. This truth is not something new, however, it's been exacerbated by hard-line officials who represent the elite stakeholders over the citizenry. We officially live in a fascist corporate police-state. This is not a democracy. This is an oligarchy. What shall we do as people of this type of a nation? What is it that we can do to remedy police violence against black people without changing the system that allowed for these atrocities to happen? The symptoms are starting to boil over and people are more clued into the true nature of this system. Every moment counts. 

Moving forward from Juneteenth day, we must all commit to standing against the hatred and bigotry that are designed to divide the populace and distract us away from the theft of our remaining democratic institutions. This fight could be the final chance to clutch onto what remains of our republic. A loss for the public would turn this country into the blatant version of what it has always been. No more hiding. No more games. Time to hit the streets and the tweets. Our lives and the lives of our children depend upon it. No pressure. 

Memorial Day Musings in the Pandemic Age

The pandemic age brings about pondering. To ponder and let the mind take control is a revolutionary thing when many exterior agencies are fighting to control the mind. To take away your ponder. This is why Artivism is so important in society today. Art creates visions, symbols, context in the mind. Those symbols carry messages and themes like the wind carries seedlings. There simply is no more powerful way to communicate crucial societal messages that allow self-determination in this age. 

Along with the power to unlock the individual mind to the grievous nature of life today, art brings about communal healing and brotherhood. We bond over art. We socialize over art. Conversations happen solely based on a piece of art and the provided context. People who may not have even contemplated a concept, leave with a full understanding of someone else's perspective. 

Art, simply put, not only gives life, but IS life. It is the breath and spirit that fills our lungs. How many times has a song made you cry? How many times has a scene in a show captivated you? Stopped you? How many times have you gasped at the confounding beauty of a painting? By allowing human beings to express themselves, art, also makes us express ourselves. It's a two-way street, a transaction, a multi-faceted ripple effect where artist and patron simultaneously transform. I becomes me. They becomes us. Here and now, there is no more important time in history for artistic expression. 

War, disease, corruption, prejudice, famine, the wealth gap, environmental and natural disasters, tear into the fabric of what it means to be human. It's time for us to support and/or become artists. It's time for us to use our art medium to bring about positive societal change for ALL humans on this planet. Don't be blind to the power structure and the exploitation of the middle and lower classes. Open up to the reality that DEMANDS your artistry. Artivism is the answer, as it always has been. 

by Kyle Roman, host of Artivism NOW! 

Simple Steps Forward: Earth Day and Beyond

Simple Steps Forward: Earth Day and Beyond

by Kyle Roman

With the arrival of Earth Day and its 40th anniversary today, one must contemplate how much more abuse our beautiful and abundant Mother Earth can withstand? War rages on in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine. Multinational corporations continue to pillage natural resources from the third-world, destroying the natives and polluting the environment. Politicians in the United States continue to inch us towards a corporatocracy which corrupts our democracy and is destroying families and communities. Capitalism continues to fail while delivering a wealth gap that is startling even when compared with history. And yet, today is Earth Day.

40 years in, after the consciousness raising of the 60's leading to the Earth Day legislation in 1970, there have been marginal changes in policy towards sustainability in our world. In the United States we have done nothing but accelerate the effects of Climate Change with our culture of consumption and greed which of course was designed for us, not by us. We continue to stall out on meaningful Climate Change legislation in our congress due to the unimpeded influence of the oil industry on our representatives. We continue to support nuclear power and "clean coal" as alternatives to oil although both are significantly dangerous to our well being. We continue to ignore sustainable solutions for power such as solar, hydro power, wind, and bio fuels. And yet, today is Earth Day.

The environmental movement is clicking on all cylinders nowadays. And who would have thought that going "green" would become trendy. Even with all of this support from the public as well as a substantial portion of the private sector, interference is rampant. We have long depended on ancient ways of solving problems in society. We have let governments and corporations do for us what is necessary for survival. What we must acknowledge is that these power systems are doing that which they are designed to do: corrupt, steal, blame, lie, kill, repeat. Over and over we have watched the systematic deconstruction of our democratic values in the name of "free-market" economics and "free-will". This must end if we have any chance at survival as a species on this great planet.

We should start thinking in a new way about our problems and their solutions. Now that we have gone green, we must go "local". The strength of the American people has always been a sense of community and loyalty to their neighborhood. Well lets start in our own community, each one of us. Local programs, even those with minimal time and money, can make a difference. There is already so many local programs established in your own community right now to join, you would not have to start one yourself. The key is to get up out of the house and get involved.

I myself am guilty of going home and retreating within. This is not the way to live in a country or on a planet that has serious problems. In fact, it is that retreating mentality that the corporatocracy depends upon. You have to be at home in front of the TV to watch the commercials to tell you what toothpaste to buy, what clothes to wear, how overweight you are and how much money you don't have.

These strategies are specifically designed to make you feel insecure about yourself and subservient to companies and products. They manufacture your consent and make you irrationally submit to authority. After all, you can't keep your own teeth white, you must use Crest to do so. These corporations want people to be confined to their own box so they can construct a view of the world for you. It is time to break out of this prison of the mind.

Everybody should look at Earth Day like New Years Day. Make a resolution for the new year... again! Every Earth Day we should all pledge to be involved in some way to make our own community sustainable.

Whether it is growing organic food in your garden, or buying from the local farmers market, every bit helps.

Whether it is installing solar panels on your home or business, or caulking your windows to reduce energy consumption, every bit helps.

Lobby your local government officials to use abandoned properties as public gardens to feed the hungry, homeless and unemployed.

Present a strategic plan at a city council meeting for any ideas for sustainable projects. You will be surprised how quick an official will steal your idea and make it happen!

Just leaving your house during sunlight and using minimal light at night will reduce your energy usage significantly. Enjoy the night, enjoy the darkness. Recreating the daytime with lights at night is irresponsible to the environment and wasteful. It will also create more time for you to be active both physically, and in your community. Think about that for a second. The interdependence of a simple change in your life can be a lasting solution.

Going outside during the daytime will save energy while all lights and appliances are turned off in your house. You will be outside burning calories and becoming healthier, thinking healthier, making healthier food choices, and becoming confident in yourself again. You will take that confidence into your community and get involved in a project that will help others sustain their lives. Building up others makes your community safer, more desirable.

All of this can happen starting this Earth Day if we simply decide as a people to put down the remote control, leave our homes, and start rebuilding the communities that we love. After all, it is love that will triumph in the end. We still have that love in our hearts for each other as human beings. Lets start sharing that love with each other and recreate our communities in a sustainable, caring way that is respectful to Mother Earth.