Art is the cornerstone of most societies. The art often reflects the times the artist lived in and/or the systems in place at that particular time. To that end, art can be used in a transformative manner to effect change or as a piece of propaganda to sell a message or a viewpoint to masses. That idea, the story art is used to tell, is the crux of our conversation for the “To Build or To Destroy: The Transformative Nature of Art” panel featuring Aloe Blacc, Arisha Hatch and Kierna Mayo, who each have interacted with art (and its application) in myriad ways. Over the course of our 40-minute conversation, we discussed the impetus for creating art, the responsibility of art, how art can be used irresponsibly, how important it is for artists to tell authentic stories, and the need to make space for stories that others aren’t interested in telling. That last point is especially important in the Black community where for so long, our stories were mostly told without our input, or those narratives were controlled via distribution methods by people who didn’t necessarily love Black people. Check out the panel! It’s insightful, informative and each panelist offers first-hand accounts of their personal interactions in art spaces and what their lasting legacy in those spaces means. Using art as activism and what that activism means in the big picture is the discussion. We hope you enjoy it! Join the discussion! The Root is hosting its first-ever, virtual Root Institute, presented by Target, featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics, culture, health, community building and social impact. Subscribe for updates today!