It’s Only the Beginning: Introducing the “Where Do We Go From Here” Reflection

From August to December 2020, Courtney J. Boddie and I collaborated with twenty-two inspiring Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists, educators, and community activists through the We Can’t Go Back project. 

The year 2020 forcibly exposed anti-Blackness in America and led to civil unrest across the United States in response to the pandemic of racism and White Supremacy. In our sector, communities are now experiencing a new kind of revolution where the goal of a complete arts and cultural education is intertwined with the continued struggle for freedom from oppression and fight for equality. Therefore, this project – and the team working on it - desired to elevate the knowledge of leaders from communities engaged in conversations about the intersection or race, power, culture, and learning. 

What We Learned

The arts education field served as a microcosm of the scenario being played out in American society. Throughout this project, we heard repeatedly that change must derive from an abolitionist framework. Our field must not cancel individuals, but rather use the current willingness to cultivate excellence within the sector, to drive change and grow consciousness.

We continued to learn this through the very processes of this project; and we thank those who invested their time and energy in our continued learning.

Throughout, we identified common trends and presented them in three sections to encapsulate major concepts that collect relevant tools and resources to help enable readers to more deeply engage with the complex topics shared throughout the series. These include:

Power, the Root Problem of Racism

Power is supported by the centuries-strong domination of resources by white people resulting from the systems created to reinforce cultures of white supremacist ideals. In a country becoming “minority white” by 2045, American society must acknowledge the changing makeup of our communities and the current reconciliation with systems built on white supremacy.

BIPOC Seeking Reparations, Awarded in Full

Uplifting the BIPOC community in the arts and cultural education sector means understanding the past within the context of the present to shape the future. Some tactics, such as listening first, are simple while others are more complex (i.e. Honoring Black Excellence). Individuals and organizations must embrace the hard questions in order to upend the cultural norms and mindsets which perpetuate racism and oppressive systems.

Decolonizing the Arts and Cultural Education Field

Common throughout the interviews was the conceptualization of liberation through arts and cultural education – and also the question: Do white people know what a racially liberated world looks like? It is clear that no amount of education from our white counterparts can instill this knowingness about the Black experience (or other IPOC) because it can never be their experience. When white people are prompted to explain their relationships with racism, often they deflect the question by referencing others who have committed racist acts. This action is unacceptable and can be combated through the ongoing practice of decolonizing.

From our observations, review, and analysis of the perspectives publicly shared on the Teaching Artistry podcast of anti-racism practices (and the circumstances in which they occurred) within the arts and education sectors, we have drawn together a number of ideas and discussion points. We do not view ourselves as experts, but rather as observers, dedicated thinkers, and question-askers. We hope that readers pause and reflect on their role. Are you aiding the movement for lasting change? Have you unknowingly supported a supremacist system? We all have a responsibility to learn. We invite you to use this reflection as a tool towards achieving a racially just world - that is the ultimate goal.

Throughout this text, we have compiled a few self-reflective questions to guide your exploration in each section. As a reader, think about:

  • How does power influence my actions?

  • What is the best way to meaningfully uplift the BIPOC community?

  • What actions can I take?

  • What can I do with this privilege to support those who have been oppressed in the effort to construct a racially-just world?

Why It’s Important

For me, serving as the project manager, video producer, and author of this report, the We Can’t Go Back project was an opportunity to learn and absorb Blackness, as I continually pledge to elevate BIPOC voices in and outside of the arts. In an introductory blog post for the series, I wrote about my own experience.


After hearing these diverse perspectives, I am affirmed in believing…

  • That expanding our knowledge on others’ existences promotes a well-rounded perspective where multicultural curriculums help develop appreciation for cultures beyond the traditional Western cannon 

  • That whenever we create art, we are embarking in social justice because the act conveys the importance of our identities

  • That performative allyship, when deeply analyzed, is a lose-lose situation

  • That it starts with one’s willingness to change and examination of their past 

  • That if one is providing reparations, give BIPOC what they need, not what one thinks is desired; Then hold oneself accountable and honor expertise. 

  • That anti-racist efforts must be met with non-closure because the journey to a racially-just world will take time filled with challenges and successes; We’ve only broken the surface

  • That it is okay to be other than White

If We Can't Go Back, Where Do We Go From Here?

The end result of the We Can’t Go Back project, is an archive of the video interview series and this cumulative reflection, which highlights the many practices, strategies, and fundamental shifts in arts and cultural work – both pedagogical and institutional – shared throughout the project to both document and spur the reimagination of a future we move toward.

In total, twenty videos and blog posts aggregate leadership strategies, educational tools, and an archive of the stories of BIPOC professionals whose work took action inspired by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other countless victims at the hands of police to further community understanding, counteract White Supremacy, and disassemble anti-Blackness in cultural and educational systems.

Our society, specifically in the United States, has to embrace interdependence as a means of progress towards an anti-racist society. With a system that supports the construction of silos, realizing our interconnectedness can be the key to achieving a more just world

As arts and cultural practitioners, we must remove ourselves from our silos to see other perspectives and gain a broader view. That view enables us to expand our efforts in an effort to gain a collective understanding. The old adage holds true, “You only know what you know,” but we cannot stay complacent in only knowing what we know. These essential moments in time push us to learn new things, maintain accountability, and build on the foundations of freedom.