Reading What I Know About Art, by Kimberly Drew was inspiring and relatable. Kimberly is a writer and curator. Drew started her career as a social media manager for the Metropolitan Museum of art. She is the leading voice for art and activism. She is very significant for amplifying the work of black creators. There is no one like her; she is a shero. She explores the theme of activism by sharing her own life journey. She had to fight many battles to succeed. Drew narrates through trial, triumph, personal experiences, learning and growth. She gives one the extra push to fight for what they believe in and not to give up. She is very inspiring to me because she is black and a female just like me. We are also both from New Jersey.
Kimberly’s autobiographical story helps illustrate themes we’ve been discussing in many ways. Both Sontag and Drew help one see things through art and photography. “It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge and, therefore, like power.” Sontag stated. Kimberly believes that art can help see and understand our own subjectivity. She uses art to explain that it can be a pathway to the world and help make sense of where we are now. “Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood.” (Sontag) In this quote, Sontag realizes that art can shift a person's mood and or atmosphere. Drew explained how during the Black Lives Matter protests her own workplace didn’t seem bothered by the riots. Many people created posters and art to bring forth their creativity. Drew knew that art would always come through and move people some way.
Moments in her book that were meaningful to me was when she was failing in college. This stood out to me because people don’t often talk about the reality of college. She also talked about how it made her depressed. It was like I was reading about my life from someone else's eyes. It was so relatable. Although that was one of her trials she kept pushing. That inspires me to do the same. Another touching moment was when she addressed how African American artists didn’t get recognition as much as whites did. Being black we have to fight ten times harder than everyone else. Many people don’t see us being capable enough to succeed. In middle school I was in gifted talented classes. In those classes I was surrounded by whites and Indians. They believed they were much smarter than me. I never felt the need to explain myself and my abilities to them because my work and grades spoke for me. In the story Drew talked about how in college she was treated differently from others because of the color of her skin. This made her become very frustrated. Through all of that she turned her frustration into something positive. She used it as a stepping stone to encourage others that they can be a part of the art world.
My major is sociology and sociology uses activism in many ways. As a sociologist their main goal is to help or improve people in particular situations. Sociologists study how humans interact, their behavior, and examine the effect of social influences. My goal is to become a social worker. As a social worker my job would be to support families and individuals through hard times. I would work very closely with professionals in health and social care to improve the outcome of their lives.
There are many meaningful ways for social workers to participate in social activism. They have a strong desire to help others improve their lives. Firstly, I would have to look at how the environment impacts people. This would help me raise awareness about the needs of the communities that are struggling. I would become their voice and I would fight for what they need. Then I would intervene so I could help improve their situations for the better. This could be things like ensuring healthy developmental for youth, stopping family violence, achieving equal opportunity and justice, and so much more. I would advocate and help clients get the deserving resources that they need. Qualities that I would have to have are empathy, communication skills, problem solving skills, and organizational skills. Help could be getting my clients into support groups or therapy. I could also help families get food stamps, child care, health care, and government benefits. This will be very helpful to help them cope with everyday needs. I could also use my own life experiences and life situations to help a client overcome something. They might be up against something I went through. The goal is to help and empower my clients so they can get past their current situations.
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