At the 2015 Grammy Awards this Sunday, Barack Obama made a public service announcement explaining how music can help change American attitudes towards violence against women. Obama stated, "Nearly one in five women in America has been a victim of rape or attempted rape. And more than one in four woman has experienced some form of domestic violence." This announcement is part of a new campaign called, "It's On Us," which is about encouraging all Americans to stop accepting rape as a common reality and taking a pledge to combat violence against women in America. Obama said that artists in particular have a unique power to inspire others to join a cause, which explains why Obama chose the Grammys, a universally renown event in which many extremely talented artists come together, as the place to start this campaign.
Similarly, during the Harlem Renaissance, people used art and music as a means of communicating social issues (particularly racial hostility) and inspiring conversation that eventually lead to the Civil Rights movements later in history. Obama hopes that with the support of celebrated artistic figures and the use of their prospective crafts, a similar revolution will take place: a revolution that ends the widespread mistreatment of young women. Because art is one of the only entities that directly communicates to all people (regardless of race, gender, or nationality), art is an appropriate means of catalyzing a movement that affects all people in America.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/02/09/barack-obama-musicians-can-help-fight-violence-against-women/
I love love loved his message during the Grammys. Major props to Katy Perry for using her fame to raise such an awareness.
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