Activate + Amplify: The Creative Healers Resistance Fund

Arts ActivismLa Ceiba FestivalNarrative Change

Apr 27

“Across the U.S., Black Americans are dying of COVID-19 at a rate of more than twice their population share. Collectively, they represent 11% of the population in states releasing data, but have suffered 28% of deaths.”

— APM Research Lab, 2020

The Initiatives of Change USA team is committed to amplifying and activating the narratives of those voices often muted in our divided, racialized country and world. Our work facilitates and strives for equity among creatives and community activists and advocates, in a wide range of healing and arts-based approaches, including storytelling (music, film, writing, and visual arts), movement, sound and silence. We focus on telling the truth about historical traumas and current inequities based on race, facilitating the identification of community needs and solutions, and creating a path towards self-determination and action.

“When you look at the health disparities in Indian Country — high rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, asthma and then you combine that with the overcrowded housing situation where you have a lot of people in homes with an elder population who may be exposed or carriers — this could be like a wildfire on a reservation and get out of control in a heartbeat.”

— Washington Post, 2020

With the launch of La Ceiba Festival during this time of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we also amplify opportunities to actively support the work of creative healers within IofC USA’s world communities.

By contributing to the Creative Healers Resistance Fund, you are supporting our team’s work around:

Organizing community members to disrupt structural racism and oppression and transform themselves and their communities
Developing equity-based opportunities for creatives on a local level, who like their counterparts around the globe, have been lifting up bodies, minds and spirits, despite catastrophic threats to their livelihood
Collaborating with essential workers, often Black and Brown people, like community health workers, who are on the front lines within communities deeply impacted by the worst outcomes, high rates of death, from COV-19. They put themselves, and their families, at risk everyday, to help those who were already struggling due health disparities and structural racism.
Engaging authentically, bringing people together across differences, finding common ground, and ideally, building solidarity with one another, the way that the arts often does

“Reports of violence against Asian American skyrocket to 100 per day during Corona Virus Pandemic.
”

— The Hill, 2020

Here’s How You Can Get Involved.

VISIT OUR DONATE PAGE.

There are a number of ways that you can make contributions to the work of Initiatives of Change USA and the Creative Healers Resistance Fund. See our Donate Page to explore the many options available.

PURCHASE ITEMS IN THE SHOP.

We believe that the arts can create viable pathways towards healing, transformation, and restorative justice. You can support our practices in arts-activism by purchasing items within IofC’s The Shop. Our creative equity practice means IofC USA pays artists for their design work and proceeds from merchandise featuring their artworks goes directly to the artist.

SUPPORT THE CREATIVE RESISTANCE FUND.

This is the inaugural year of La Ceiba Festival. In order to ensure it viability beyond 2020, we must raise funds to amplify the participation of exceptionally talented artists. You can help with this effort by pre-ordering merchandise from La Ceiba Festival by emailing communicationsus@iofc.org with your order request.