Can Artists be Activists?: HBS as an Example @MHPShow

On Saturday, political commentator and host Melissa Harris-Perry posed the question of whether artists can be effective activists. Using examples of Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, and Macklemore, Harris-Perry and guests debated the current role of musicians in social justice causes. The conversation detailed the ways in which artists are often afraid to take stances on controversial issues as they may impact album sales, audience reach, and public reception.  

 Kanye West received backlash for his criticism of President Bush and media portrayals of black Americans after Hurricane Katrina. 

As a writer, Harriet Beecher Stowe used the media of her time, newspaper publications and novels, as a way to advocate an anti-slavery position. Though she received death threats and significant criticism, her career was not ultimately impaired, as she went on to write a total of 30 books. Yet, while Stowe was an artist, she made her advocacy a central and integrated part of her work, most notably through Uncle Tom's Cabin. Today, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and actors often try to appeal to a mass majority and thus are faced with a considerable economic risk if they step out of their genre and advocate on potentially controversial topics.

Can a "mainstream" artist, one occupying space in a traditional corporate or capitalist marketplace, be a true advocate for justice? Or is it easier for an independent artist to fight for issues of equality? Commentators on Harris-Perry's show described how early hip-hop music, often underground and independent to start, was built on fighting for racial justice and equality. Do certain genres of entertainment lend more easily to activism? What other artists are advocating for justice? Let us know!