Episode 39: What Is Your Liberation Philosophy?

Teaching Artistry with Courtney J. Boddie

In this episode, we feature a deep discussion, from the video series, "We Can't Go Back", between panelists Toya Lillard, Robyne Walker Murphy and Durell Cooper, around a number of topics including: saviorism in arts education; relinquishing power so that younger Black practitioners can step up; and holding arts organizations accountable so that anti-racist policies don't simply become language in a mission statement, but become integrated into their core practices. Anecdotally, and Courtney states this at the top of the episode, Toya, Robyne and Durell have been influential in the development of Courtney's liberatory practices and philosophy, and it's clear why. It's quite powerful to hear just how each of these arts practitioners view the inequities—and the possibilities—in the arts education field. Arts organizations all over the nation, and their leaders, have finally been put under a microscope. There is a demand for them to dig deep in order to interrogate and examine oppressive, white supremacist policies and practices that pervade, from the roots upward, the foundation of and structures within the arts education field. In this episode, we spotlight this industry-wide crisis with one question being asked of white and BIPOC people in power at these institutions: "What are you willing to give up?"