Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of women and femmes from all backgr

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of women and femmes from all backgrounds who have helped shape our world. It’s also a time of self-reflection to think about how our identities and actions shape our environments as well. I’m Jay, a high school senior from Brooklyn who attends a mostly white school in suburban Pennsylvania. For me, as a queer black non-binary teenager and a student activist, I am used to being the minority in every space I occupy at school. Often, I find my voice devalued, and my identity completely rejected. Women’s History Month reminds me of the strong and powerful people throughout history that demanded to be heard and visible despite the ways in which they were discounted by the people around them.This past summer, I was part of the Digital Artizens program at the Brooklyn Museum. Digital Artizens was a project started in 2015, designed to engage teens with intersectional feminism through art. We spent time exploring the Sackler Center, the Museum’s feminist art gallery, learning about the history of feminist activism, and working to build the Digital Artizens website. The website features our art, blog posts, thoughts on feminist artworks through an intersectional lens, and op-ed articles. The program helped me to connect with other people my age who were similarly passionate about activism, and provided a learning space for me where I didn’t have to worry about educating other people.I know first hand from this experience that connecting young people with art not only fuels their creativity, but also enriches them with ideas that change the course of history. I believe art is a powerful medium through which ideas about identity and social justice can be conveyed. Women artists like Lorna Simpson, Mickalene Thomas, and Faith Ringgold have all challenged me and motivated me to view myself and the world differently. I know that social change has been sparked and facilitated by passionate young people like me, and that’s why it’s important for me to continue my work as an activist educating and empowering others.For more information about Teen Programs at the museum, click here and follow us here. Be sure to check out www.bkmdigitalartizens.com, and get your intersectional feminism on, this month and every month of the year.Posted by Jay Scott -- source link

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