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- Optimistic Anthropologist Vol. 7
Optimistic Anthropologist Vol. 7
Bright Spots, Cross-Sector Collaborations, and Comic Books
April 2018, Volume 7View this email in your browser
Dear ,
I am inspired by the possibility of the future. However, the anthropologist in me recognizes that the future is intrinsically tied to and shaped by the past, and that the past is a powerful source of learning and insight. Which is why it's been so troubling to me to see examples of how we're forgetting the past - such as this recent study which found that
.
And yet, the optimist in me has also been seeing some incredible examples of individuals and institutions acknowledging, seeking to understand and even reconsidering the past publicly, and not trying to delete it or justify it:
The Washington Posts's The Four Days in 1968 that Reshaped D.C. is an amazing piece of digital reporting and linked articles on the civil unrest in the nation's capital that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and its lasting impact on the city;
Warner Brothers showing a warning before Tom & Jerry that acknowledges the racism in its classic cartoons; and
National Geographic's thoughtful reflection on its own reporting, For Decades, Our Coverage Was Racist. To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It.
The future and the past don't have to be mutually exclusive, and I know for me, my understanding of the world is richer when I'm both the optimist and the anthropologist. Though, I know for many of my fellow changemakers the optimism sometimes feels harder to maintain (it can for me too). So, as a final thought, I'm sharing
adapting a song by one of my favorite artists and musicians,
. Byrne produced and released this as part of his digital project called
where he highlights positive things from around the globe from civic engagement to economics, science to transportation, arts to health.
Be well and do good,
P.S. I'll be in New York City May 14-18. If you'd like to connect,
Check out the latest updates to our website! We've added a Blog Archive and a What We Do section.
Events
Learn to make your own history or alternative history comic book! April 29, 10 am - 12 pm in Washington, DC
As part of Optimistic Anthropology's belief in the power of the adjacent possible, the potential and serendipity created when you notice and connect the unlikely, we've been working with the DC
Society to produce some cool, interactive workshops on arts and culture. Our next one is a
with amazing DC-area comic writers and artists Jason Rodriguez and Liz Larabee.
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