How Artists and Musicians Are Responding to Trump’s 2nd Term
Ask students: Who are some of the musicians or artists featured in this story? How has Manuel Oliver expressed his thoughts on government policies?
Summary
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen publicly blasted President Trump and his policies, saying “we’re living through particularly dangerous times." As Trump increasingly targets the arts, artists are faced with the question of whether to speak out or keep their heads down. Jeffrey Brown reports for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy as part of our CANVAS coverage.
View the transcript of the story.
Warm-Up Questions
- Who are some of the musicians or artists featured in this story?
- Where has Patrick Martinez handed out photocopies of his art?
- What does Ani DiFranco say people are suffering from?
- How has Manuel Oliver expressed his thoughts on gun reform and immigration issues, including ICE deportations?
- Why have most art institutions avoided directly confronting policy decisions by the Trump administration, according to The New York Times’ Robin Pogrebin?
Essential Questions
"When I produce work, a lot of that messaging tends to put me in a light that people will label me an activist, but I'm more just kind of paying attention," said Patrick Martinez.
- What issues in your life have art or music helped you pay attention to?
- What are some similarities and differences between a person who creates music or art and someone who listens or observes music or art?
Media literacy: There are several musicians and artists featured in this piece. Do you know other artists or musicians who have expressed their feelings about politics through art or music?
What Students Can Do
What approach are these citizen historians taking to preserve art in the Smithsonian museum exhibits? Check out the video lesson here:
There are many organizations that provide lessons on "protest songs" and have students analyze historical context at the time the song came out (you can do your own search online by typing in "protest songs") from this National Women's History Museum lesson to this TeachRock lesson (teachers can create a free account). You can also watch this TeachRock video here to hear from students and a teacher about how music makes learning more relevant.
Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
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