Arts Empowering Social Justice

The joyful beat of a solo drummer welcomed visitors to more than just a new exhibition at the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.

The drummer’s rhythms reverberated off walls filled with photos honoring the achievements of LGBTQ artists, activists and community leaders. And museum visitors who followed the sound deeper into the exhibition that day got to hear from members of our community who too often feel unwelcome in the place we call home.

This celebration of the new “Queer Caribbeans” exhibition included a forum where some of the honorees shared stories about the struggle for LGBTQ inclusion and support, within the Caribbean community and beyond.

“When we do something like this exhibit, the message we send is that we will not be erased,” said attorney and activist Nik Harris, who moderated the Queer Caribbeans discussion. “We are here because someone believed in this and had hope. … I appreciate you for not being silent.”

As our nation struggles to overcome hundreds of years of systemic racial discrimination, support from the Community Foundation of Broward is helping Island SPACE and other local organizations use the power of the arts to deepen knowledge, promote dialogue and encourage positive change.

From the lingering repercussions of slavery to the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, a powerful new series of exhibitions, panel discussions and arts events at the museum in Plantation is celebrating achievements and raising awareness about injustices we must still overcome.

The Community Foundation believes in the power of the arts to bridge differences, foster understanding and inspire change. That’s why we have partnered with local philanthropists to invest nearly $1 million since 2021 in opportunities for the arts to support social justice.

Across Broward these new performances, exhibitions, films, podcasts, workshops, youth programs, festivals and more are tapping into the arts unique ability to educate, inspire and unite. More than 6,000 people have attended or participated in these engaging programs and events, including about 300 who experienced the Island SPACE exhibition.

In addition to Island SPACE, The NSU Art Museum, the Art and Culture Center Hollywood, the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, the Art Prevails Project, Island City Stage and Ashanti Cultural Arts & Enrichment Center are among the Community Foundation grant recipients working to bring these arts and social justice programs to life.

Support for innovative arts projects is just one of the ways that Community Foundation grants and leadership champion our commitment to racial justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

We know philanthropy can do more to help achieve longoverdue change. The arts are helping us take important steps toward becoming a community where all residents feel welcome and where we all have an opportunity to succeed.

“I’m envisioning a world that will value us and nourish our existence,” said Mohamed Q. Amin, one of the panelists at the Queer Caribbeans exhibition celebration. “We deserve to experience support, sustainability and empowerment.”

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