Glossary: Diaspora
Diaspora
In relation to art, the term diaspora is used to discuss artists who have migrated from one part of the world to another, (or whose families have), and who express their diverse experiences of culture and identity in the work they make; often expressing alternative narratives, and challenging the ideas and structures of the established art world. (source: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/d/diaspora )
Related Terms:
The term race refers to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of physical characteristics (which usually result from genetic ancestry).
intersectionality is the theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual (often used attributively).
The objective of creating a fair and equal society in which each individual matters, their rights are recognized and protected, and decisions are made in ways that are fair and honest.
Racial justice is the systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcomes for all.
The term “language justice” is a powerful way to describe individuals’ fundamental right to have their voices heard.
Identity politics is the term used to describe an anti-authoritarian political and cultural movement that gained prominence in the USA and Europe in the mid-1980s, asking questions about identity, repression, inequality and injustice and often focusing on the experience of marginalized groups.
In relation to art, the term diaspora is used to discuss artists who have migrated from one part of the world to another, (or whose families have), and who express their diverse experiences of culture and identity in the work they make; often expressing alternative narratives, and challenging the ideas and structures of the established art world.
Decolonising the art institution usually means reviewing the canon and questioning its ability to include different voices or perspectives (remembering that decolonisation is not the same as diversity).
Racial equity is about eliminating racism.
Equity is the outcome when race will no longer be a predictor of health, education, income, etc.
Equity is a proactive, strategic approach that accounts for structural differences in opportunities, burdens, and needs in order to advance targeted solutions that fulfill the promise of true equality for all.
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“I was inspired by lectures of Dr. Darin Waters of UNCA about “collective historical memory” and as a white Ashevillian felt like it could be a learning experience that I could pass on through this work and inspire others in my community to take a look at the rich history that is in danger of becoming forgotten as our town becomes more homogenized.”
Mebane-based poet Jaki Shelton Green challenges us to think about community legacies, lineage, land, and ancestors in her 2019 poem, 'who will be the messenger of this land.'
Greensboro, NC based Scrapmettle Entertainment Group took a breast cancer awareness event in a historically Black neighborhood as an opportunity to explore this subject on stage.
Artist Furen Dai’s How Race Was Made? (2019) extracts language (relevant to today’s discourse) from Census archives from 1790 to 2010, dating back to its institutional inception.
In “Censorship, Not the Painting, Must Go: On Dana Schutz’s Image of Emmett Till,” Coco Fusco wrote about Open Casket, an abstracted depiction of Emmet Till in his open casket by Dana Schutz, and the widespread criticism it received while on view at the Whitney Biennial in 2017.
The American Library by Yinka Shonibare CBE is a celebration of the diversity of the American population. It aims to be an instigator of discovery and debate. On the spines of many of these books are, printed in gold, the names of people who immigrated, or whose antecedents immigrated to the United States. On other books are the names of African Americans who relocated or whose parents relocated out of the American South during the Great Migration.