Free to Be More: Creative Activism in the Era of Black Lives Matter

Celebrating the artists at the forefront of a Black aesthetic renaissance and exploring how they harness the arts to shape a freer future.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police
Department and the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet during a health episode attended by Toronto Police Services in the turbulent summer of 2020, communities rose up in rage, grief, and resistance. Alongside mass protests came an outpouring of creative expression by Black artists, producing art that helped make sense of the moment and mobilize for change.

Today, as anti-Black violence persists—fueled by the rise of white supremacy and fascism, even within the highest levels of government—Black artists, too, persist in painting, dancing, drawing, writing, and expressing their outrage and hope. 

Free to Be More honours the creative revolutionary labour of Black artists, past and present. This vibrant collection of essays, poems, images, and interviews affirms the deep connection between art and activism. More than that, it’s a testament to how art can amplify a movement and offer tools to gather, organize, and enact transformative interventions in anti-Black racism.

Continuing and expanding the conversation from the bestselling Until We Are Free, Free to Be More brings together contributions from Rodney Diverlus, Ravyn Wngz, Aisha Sasha John, Camille Turner, and other visionary artists to serve as both a singular creative archive and a rallying cry for future changemakers.
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Ra’anaa Yaminah Ekundayo is a multimedia activist scholar who co-founded and currently chairs Black Lives Matter Sudbury.