WOMENARTS is dedicated to increasing the visibility of women artists in all art forms. We put the spotlight on women artists every March through Support Women Artists Now Day, and we share news about trailblazing women artists and gender parity activists all year long through the WomenArts Blog. We believe in the power of women artists to create, connect, and change the world.
King’s comments about the glaring contrasts between the rich and the poor resonated deeply with me. A few years ago I got a call from a young woman musician who had been evicted from her apartment. They had changed the locks and all her musical equipment was inside. They were going to auction it off unless she could come up with $1,000.
I will never forget the desperation in that women’s voice. She had worked a clerical job and lived frugally for several years to save the money to buy that equipment and move to a bigger city to make her mark in the music industry. But she got sick and could not work for three months after she moved, and she was about to lose everything she had worked so hard to obtain. She had called every emergency service in town with no luck and WomenArts was her final resort.
Fortunately I was able to help that woman get the funds she needed, but the majority of people living in poverty around the world are women and children, and all too often their cries for help go unanswered. Even the women who have jobs are paid 20% less than men, and that pervasive discounting of their value can undermine their self-confidence and prevent them from reaching their full potential. King was right—as the richest country in the world, America has a responsibility to do better.
WomenArts is pleased to join the USDAC and other #RevolutionOfValues partners in calling artists, creative organizers, and allies to take part in this week of creative action April 2-8, 2018!
Recommended action for #RevolutionOfValues:
Get ideas for your events by reading the WomenArts Blog, where you can find articles about women around the world who are using their art to address social issues. If you feel inspired to share, upload images, audio, or video to social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—with the hashtags #WomenArts #RevolutionOfValues, and #USDAC.