Defending Creative Voices: United in Challenging Times

Standing Together: Why Creative Communities Must Unite and Speak Up in Challenging Times, and How You Can Help

by John Andrews

The Power of Creative Solidarity Against Authoritarianism

In Essex County and beyond, we at Creative Collective are witnessing a pivotal moment that affects all our creative communities. As allies committed to amplifying diverse voices, we’ve observed how tensions between authoritarian governance and artistic expression have intensified dramatically. There’s a reason why creativity has become a battleground in today’s political landscape—and understanding this conflict can help us build meaningful solidarity across communities.

We believe creativity doesn’t just enhance our neighborhoods—it’s the essential force that makes them vibrant, inclusive, and resilient. When creative voices face suppression, we’re witnessing more than an ‘art attack’—an attempt to control the cultural narrative that shapes who we all are.

Why Authoritarian Figures Feel Threatened by Creative Expression

The fundamental tension between Donald Trump and creative communities reveals a deeper struggle transcending partisan politics. This conflict emerges from creativity’s inherent nature to question, challenge, and imagine alternatives to the status quo.

Trump has expressed ambivalence toward artistic pursuits, once stating: “I’ve always felt that a lot of modern art is a con, and that the most successful painters are often better salesmen and promoters than they are artists.” This reveals his tendency to view art primarily through transactional lenses rather than as cultural expression. His priorities emerge in his own words: “I don’t do it for the money. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals.” This dichotomy positions artistic pursuits as fundamentally different from his value system, prioritizing tangible results and financial success.

This mindset helps us understand why creative professionals represent an inherent challenge to authoritarian approaches. While businesses prioritizing financial metrics can be controlled through economic policies, creative expression operates on different principles—imagination, empathy, and the ability to envision alternative futures.

The Political Necessity of Controlling Culture

The systematic efforts to dismantle arts infrastructure aren’t random—they reflect a strategic understanding of culture’s power to shape identity and narrative. In March 2025, Trump signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, directing Vice President JD Vance to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the institute’s museums, centers, and even the National Zoo. This move explicitly aims to control how American history and culture are presented to the public.

As one analyst noted, “Trump, like other fascist leaders, is manipulating the federal systems and funding for the arts to propagate tyrannical, ahistorical ideologies to the public.” This observation connects these actions to historical authoritarian control over cultural expression patterns.

Understanding these motivations transforms our creative community’s response from partisan reaction to principled resistance. This isn’t about politics—it’s about preserving the fundamental freedom to question, create, and imagine that drives innovation across all sectors.

Supporting Communities of Color: Understanding the Double Impact

As allies, we recognize that the targeting of arts and culture disproportionately impacts communities of color, who have historically used creative expression as both cultural preservation and resistance. We’re committed to amplifying these concerns and solidarity with those most affected.

The Art Museum of the Americas, a cultural venue run by the Organization of American States, has canceled two upcoming shows—one featuring Black artists from across the Western Hemisphere and another showcasing queer artists from Canada—to comply with Trump administration orders targeting “diversity, equity and inclusion.” The Washington Post, Cheryl D. Edwards, the curator for the canceled survey of Black artists, described this as a direct result of executive orders eliminating federal funding for diversity initiatives.

Meanwhile, the National Endowment for the Arts has eliminated its Challenge America grant program for fiscal year 2026. This program primarily supported small organizations reaching “historically underserved communities that have limited access to the arts relative to geography, ethnicity, economics, and/or disability.” NPR Instead, the NEA is prioritizing projects that celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

These shifts represent more than just funding changes—they’re attempts to control which stories are told and which cultural perspectives receive institutional support. As allies, we must recognize and speak out against these systemic barriers to cultural expression.

Economic Implications for Black Creatives and Businesses

Our role as allies includes understanding and highlighting the economic impact of these policy shifts, which fall particularly hard on Black-owned creative businesses already facing significant structural barriers. According to an analysis by William Michael Cunningham, an economist and CEO of Creative Investment Research, Trump’s proposed policies could raise the cost of consumer goods, increase government debt, and raise the cost of living for people under $100,000. Black Enterprise

Rhonda Vonshay Sharpe, president of the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race (WISER), points out that Trump’s tariff policies could negatively impact Black women-owned businesses, among the fastest-growing firms in recent years. This is particularly concerning since nearly 4% of self-employed Black women work in nail salons, over 6% in retail, 10% in beauty salons, and over 15% in healthcare sectors that often rely on imported goods. Black Enterprise

The creative economy has historically provided entrepreneurial opportunities for communities of color when traditional employment paths were closed due to discrimination. As allies, we must recognize how weakening this sector threatens cultural expression, economic mobility, and community wealth-building.

Learning from Cultural Resilience

As allies, we have much to learn from the creative resilience strategies developed by communities of color. Throughout American history, Black artists have used creative expression for aesthetics and as tools for community building, resistance, and social change. Their resilience in the face of adversity is inspiring and a testament to the power of creativity.

Black creatives collaborate with grassroots organizations, community leaders, and activists to use their art to empower and change. Public art installations, murals, and community-based projects serve as visual reminders of the Black community’s struggles and triumphs. These​​ Black artists are not just inspiring, but also provide valuable lessons for the broader creative community.

Organizations like Black Art Futures Fund, a collective of emerging philanthropists founded in 2017, are working to promote the elevation and preservation of Black arts and culture through grant-making, board-matching, and organization-to-donor cultivation. Widewalls. These community-based funding models offer alternatives when government support diminishes.

As allies, we can support these initiatives while learning from their approaches to build stronger cross-community solidarity. The resilience strategies developed by communities of color—creating independent venues, building alternative funding models, and connecting art directly to community needs—provide valuable blueprints for the broader creative community now facing similar pressures. Our support and solidarity are crucial in these challenging times.

The “Troublemaker” Factor: Why Creativity Threatens Authoritarianism

Creative professionals often position themselves as natural dissenters and critics of power, making them an inherent threats to any administration that values conformity. As activist-artist Dread Scott bluntly stated, “There’s a reason they’ve gone after culture and media… It’s ’cause we’re potential troublemakers.” This awareness drives many of the administration’s actions against creative institutions.

The chilling effect extends beyond direct censorship. “I’m worried about my career being harmed. It’s hard enough to make a living as an artist under good circumstances,” said Michelle Hartney, whose work was censored in an exhibition. This climate of fear suppresses creative dissent even without direct intervention.

Research suggests there’s a psychological dimension to this conflict. When people experience threats, they begin to “tighten”—physically tensing muscles and psychologically becoming more rigid and less tolerant of deviation. This tendency toward psychological “tightening” makes creative people particularly threatening because they often intentionally challenge established narratives and social norms.

Standing with LGBTQ+ Creatives and Creators of Color

As allies, we recognize the unique challenges faced by those at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities. LGBTQ+ creatives of color navigate complex barriers in this environment, with the queer community historically using art as both personal expression and community building. In contrast, communities of color have relied on creative expression for cultural preservation and resistance.

In today’s digital landscape, queer artists face additional barriers through algorithmic censorship. One artist said, “My only weapon against centuries of silence and erasure is a paintbrush. I have a passion for painting queerness, celebrating nudity, and telling sex-positive stories.” Queer Majority

For LGBTQ+ creators of color, the intersecting identities create layered vulnerabilities. When arts programs that specifically support diversity are eliminated, like the recent cancellation of exhibitions featuring Black and LGBTQ+ artists, those at these intersections lose vital platforms for expression and economic opportunity.

As allies, we can amplify these voices and support collaborative approaches like those of the Human Rights Campaign, which has been working with diverse artists to highlight their work, recognizing that “These collaborations have been a reminder of just how diverse our community is.” HRC. These partnerships point to how allyship can strengthen community resilience.

A Rallying Cry: Why Cross-Community Creative Unity Matters Now

Understanding why creativity faces these challenges transforms our response as allies. This isn’t just about defending arts funding—it’s about protecting the fundamental capacity to question, imagine, and create that drives progress in all sectors.

Our response becomes clearer when we recognize that the systematic dismantling of arts infrastructure stems from creativity’s inherent threat to authoritarian control. We’re not just defending cultural programs but preserving the fundamental ability to envision and build better communities.

This understanding provides our rallying cry: Creativity isn’t partisan—it’s essential. The freedom to question, imagine, and express is the foundation of innovation across all sectors. When we stand with creative expression, particularly from marginalized communities whose voices have historically been silenced, we fight for the fundamental capacity to envision and build better communities for everyone.

Building Meaningful Allyship and Cross-Community Solidarity

As allies, Creative Collective is committed to building bridges across sectors and communities. Here’s how we can strengthen those connections together:

1. Amplify, Don’t Appropriate: As allies, our role is to elevate the perspectives of communities of color, LGBTQ+ creatives, and those at the intersections of multiple identities who face the greatest threats to their expression and livelihoods—not to speak for them.
2. Support Independent Infrastructure: We can contribute to community-owned spaces, funding mechanisms, and distribution channels that aren’t vulnerable to political pressure. Organizations like the Rebuild Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming buildings and neighborhoods in South Side Chicago, while sustaining cultural development and celebrating art, provide powerful models for what’s possible.
3. Make Business Connections: Help business leaders and policymakers understand that suppressing creative expression threatens economic innovation. The same qualities that make artists “troublemakers” drive entrepreneurship and business innovation.
4. Highlight Economic Impact: Support research demonstrating how creative expression directly contributes to economic resilience. According to the Creative Economy Outlook 2024, creative services exports surged to $1.4 trillion in 2022, marking a 29% increase since 2017, while creative goods exports reached $713 billion. UNCTAD. This economic power creates natural allies in the business community.
5. Foster Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Create spaces for exchange between different cultural communities facing similar pressures. When diverse creative voices unite with supportive allies, they create more resilient networks of support and resistance.

How We Can Take Action as Allies and Consumers

Supporting creative communities isn’t just the responsibility of artists and cultural workers. We all have a role to play as allies:

1. Recognize the Stakes: Understand that supporting creative expression isn’t just about enjoying art—it’s about preserving the freedom to question and imagine that drives progress across all sectors.
2. Spend Intentionally: By supporting creative community members in their endeavors, consumers “can both support a marginalized group as they create art from a unique perspective, and also aid in maintaining their individual livelihood.” Shutterstock. This is particularly important for creatives from marginalized communities.
3. Amplify Diverse Voices: Seek out and share the work of creatives from communities of color, LGBTQ+ artists, and others who face additional barriers to expression. Their perspectives often offer the most potent challenges to authoritarian narratives.
4. Join Cultural Organizing Efforts: Connect with organizations like Art Against Racism, “creating an international community of bold creatives, arts administrators, community organizations, and activists dedicated to anti-racist social change.”Art Against Racism. These groups combine cultural work with community organizing for greater impact.
5. Advocate for Independent Cultural Institutions: Support the independence of museums, libraries, and educational programs from political interference, particularly those that center diverse perspectives and experiences.

Moving Forward Together: Allyship as Community Power

Understanding the deeper tensions between authoritarianism and creativity transforms our approach from defensive reaction to visionary action. As allies, we’re not just protecting existing programs but championing the essential role of imagination and questioning in building resilient communities. We recognize that our role is to support, not lead.

The creative communities of Essex County represent a microcosm of America’s cultural diversity. By standing together—artists, entrepreneurs, educators, and community members across all backgrounds—we don’t just resist the forces that would silence creative voices. We actively build alternatives demonstrating why creativity isn’t just lovely; it’s essential infrastructure for thriving communities.

What role will you play in supporting our creative future? We invite you to join this conversation and find your place in our collective story. Together, we can transform this moment of challenge into unprecedented solidarity and innovation.