Poetry, Art and Community Justice

In Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood, we meet poet Aja Monet, legal justice advocates Meena Jagannath and Alayah Glenn, and artist Eddie Arroyo to talk about how art and poetry are giving voice to urban communities fractured by gentrification.

Arroyo's paintings reference photographs he takes to capture the character of vanishing cultural landmarks. Monet is founder of Smoke Signals Studio, a music space that's become a transformative gathering place in Little Haiti. Jagannath and Glenn are two of the activists that run the local Community Justice Project, a young grassroots initiative focused on addressing issues ranging from women’s and immigrant rights, to race and economic justice.

These individuals represent the growing momentum of civic engagement across the United States. In the ways they animate their vision for Miami's possible future, we see infinite potential for creative interventionists to empower disenfranchised communities around the world.

Sound Editor: Anamnesis Audio | Special Audio: Arsimmer McCoy Early

Related episodes: Cultural Complexity in Little Haiti, Where Art Meets Activism, The Art of Capitalism, Andrea Bowers on Environmental Activism, Marinella Senatore on Modern Life, Tania Bruguera on Art Activism, Maria Alyokhina on Political Art

Related Links: Smoke Signals Studio, Community Justice Project, Dream Defenders, Maroon Poetry Festival, Eddie Arroyo