Coates addressed the role of the arts in furthering the cause of racial justice
Over the years, the BYU BRAVO! Series has booked an impressive lineup of renowned artists and performers. That stellar reputation extends to its Listen Up! Series, introduced this fall as the College of Fine Arts and Communications seeks to magnify the campus conversation about Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. The December 3 lecture, co-produced by the BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts (TMA), featured a live Zoom event with National Book Award winner Ta-Nehisi Coates. The event was exclusive to students within the college, and was moderated by TMA Department Chair Wade Hollingshaus. Coates has become a powerful voice for examining what it means to be Black in America. His bestselling books include “The Beautiful Struggle,” “We Were Eight Years in Power,” and “Between the World and Me.” He has received a MacArthur Fellowship and is the current author of the Marvel comics The Black Panther and Captain America. During the event, Coates spoke passionately about the importance of the arts in building a loving, egalitarian world. He asserted that arts and culture can shape not only the social issues of the day, but also the attitudes and policies surrounding those issues. Read the full article at BYU Arts.