© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Crosscurrents

Shifting narratives through art and activism

Courtesy of Favianna Rodriguez
Favianna Rodriguez

Visual artist and cultural organizer Favianna Rodriguez grew up in the Fruitvale district in East Oakland, far from her parents’ native Peru. She says she wants to change how immigrants and other marginalized groups are portrayed so that the full spectrum of people's stories can be shown. 

In addition to making her own work, she's the director of Culture Strike, a national art and activist organization, and she's the co-founder of the presente.org, whose aim is to empower Latino communities. KALW’s Jen Chien spoke with Favianna Rodriguez about the power of art to shape our cultural and political realities.

FAVIANNA: It's not just how they affect white people. It's also about how they affect us; how we can perceive ourselves.

Favianna's work will be featured in a new exhibition opening at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco starting on March 11th. It's called “Take This Hammer: Art + Media Activism.

Crosscurrents