Culturally & Linguistically Relevant Vaccine PSAs
August 19, 2021
Texas Folklife's Hechos, No Miedo | Facts, Not Fear bilingual campaign features heritage arts PSAs by and for Austin's communities of color. Working with a variety of artists and community collaborators to produce public health messaging for communities that have experienced high levels of infection and low vaccine rates during the pandemic, this project seeks to engage community members in conversations that respect community knowledge, embrace lived experience, and help identify and overcome the complex barriers affecting equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine. The landing page to learn more and access all media and content is available in English and in Spanish.
The messages as of early August 2021 include:
- A Spanish-language message for recent Mexican immigrant populations featuring the Huapango music of Los Trovadores de Raúl Orduña, dancers from Ballet Folklórico Lo Nuestro, and murals by Luis Angulo (known as Uloang) and Carmen Rangel (both originally commissioned by the No Seas Wey campaign). Produced by eight-time Lone Star Emmy winning director, producer, and educator Chelsea Hernandez of Panda Bear Films, who was behind the documentary Building the American Dream. Long (3-minute) and short (1-minute) video and audio-only versions available.
- A mixed English- and Spanish-language message for a younger Latino/a/x audience featuring the Son Jarocho music of Güateque Son and dancers from Ballet Folklórico de Austin. Video work by local videographer Joe Rocha, who has produced nationally aired projects such as “Austin Revealed.” Long (3-minute) and short (1-minute) video and audio-only versions available.
- A Spanish-language message for an older, well established Chicano audience in Central Texas, featuring the Conjunto music of Johnny Degollado (“El Montopolis Kid”) and Jean Jacques ‘J.J.’ Barrera, and a mural by Raúl Valdez. Produced by Gabriela Kane Guardia, with videography by Chris Sibley of Papalote Productions. Long (2-minute, 21-second) and short (46-second) video and audio-only versions available.
- An English-language message for Black and African American audiences directed by Mobley, featuring musician and filmmaker Megz (Magna Carda) and others in a dialog about the vaccine and the Black experience. Jacob Weber served as director of photography and editor, while The George Washington Carver Museum provided the setting. Long (2-minute, 14-second) and short (1-minute) versions are available in both video and audio-only formats.
View each & learn more on the landing page, or watch on YouTube and listen on Soundcloud.
Public Art for Racial education is an organization that believes that public art has an important role in racial justice awareness. They commission and engage artists to create public art in and for each of their communities. Through public art and accompanying public programs, PARJE believes we can better understand our true history, and it can help us to appreciate the rich diversity of our human family and challenge us to be engaged in contemporary racial justice issues.
Nicole M Brewer is a passionate advocate for anti-racist theatre. She has spent the last fourteen years refining and practicing an inclusive method of theatre training and practices which she calls Conscientious Theatre Training (CTT). She has authored four articles about the need for the theatre industry to shift from racist and oppressive models to anti-racist and anti-oppressive.
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is building a world where every cultural organizer feels connected to and recognizes their critical role in a vibrant movement for liberatory change. The Art & Well-Being: Toward A Culture of Health is a free guide for artists who place their gifts at the service of healing, working for both individual and collective well-being, recognizing social justice as the foundation of a culture of health.
La CASA (Center for Arts, Self-determination, and Activism) is a transformative $33 million initiative by Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) in Boston's South End.This four-story facility will consolidate IBA's diverse programs—including affordable housing, education, financial empowerment, and arts—under one roof, enhancing access and community outreach.Supported by a $20 million New Markets Tax Credits allocation and $12 million in tax-exempt bond financing led by TD Bank, La CASA exemplifies a strategic partnership aimed at fostering socio-economic mobility.Upon its anticipated completion in 2026, La CASA is projected to serve over 2,500 individuals annually through resident services and youth development, with an additional 5,000 benefiting from its arts programming, reinforcing its role as a beacon for Latino culture and community empowerment in Boston.
The Welman Project aims to support educators by making the reuse of materials a resource for creativity in the classroom, and to increase arts participation in underserved groups. They serve educators, artists, makers, and families through three main programs: the Educator Resource Program, the Curiosity Shop, and their Creative Reuse Education Program. They are dedicated to using the arts as a space for healing and confronting social injustice.
Art Against Racism is a virtual arts exhibition which aims to lift up the tremendous array of creative works made in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In doing so, project organizers hope that the exhibition will serve as an archive of the national artistic response to this historic moment.
