FUTURE/PRESENT: Arts in a Changing America

FUTURE/PRESENT is a collection of essays, art, and interviews that explore issues of cultural equity and racial justice in a changing America, highlighting the resilience of communities of color and the role of artists as first responders and strategists for equity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 568 pages
Publication date: 13 February 2024
Publisher: Duke University Press

FUTURE/PRESENT is a groundbreaking anthology that brings together a diverse group of writers, artists, activists, and scholars who are at the forefront of the most urgent battles for cultural equity and racial justice in a rapidly changing America. This comprehensive volume builds upon five years of national organizing by Arts in a Changing America, an artist-led initiative that aims to challenge structural racism by centering people of color who are driving innovation in the intersection of arts production, community benefit, and social change.

The anthology features a diverse array of essays, criticism, visual and performance art, artist manifestos, interviews, poetry, and reflections on community practice. Contributors delve into critical issues such as placekeeping and belonging, migration and diasporas, the carceral state, reimagining relationships with land, ancestral knowledge as a radical futurity, and shifting paradigms of inequality. By foregrounding the remarkable resilience of communities of color, FUTURE/PRESENT advocates for the expanded role of artists as first responders to injustices, creative stewards in fostering community cohesion and health, and innovative strategists for equity.

The anthology features an impressive lineup of esteemed contributors, including Dahlak Brathwaite, adrienne maree brown, Jeff Chang, Tameca Cole, Ofelia Esparza, Antoine Hunter, Nobuko Miyamoto, Wendy Red Star, Spel, Jose Antonio Vargas, Carrie Mae Weems, Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu, among others. Their insights and perspectives provide a rich tapestry of ideas and experiences that contribute to the ongoing dialogue about cultural equity and racial justice in America.

In conclusion, FUTURE/PRESENT is a vital and timely anthology that showcases the incredible talent and dedication of artists, writers, activists, and scholars who are working tirelessly to shape a more inclusive and just future for all. By highlighting the transformative power of art and culture, this collection inspires and empowers us to be agents of change in our communities and beyond.

Weight: 1610g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478020271