Birmingham Councilor Crystal Smitherman: Empower Black Artists to Tell Their Stories

By Crystal Smitherman | Special to The Times It would be impossible to calculate the massive impact that Black culture has made on the world – from art, to dance, to music to fashion and so on. The arts serve as a mirror reflecting the diversity of human experiences, yet historically, Black artists have been marginalized and their stories neglected. This inequity not only diminishes the richness of our cultural influences but also perpetuates systemic injustices. It is imperative that we confront this issue head-on and actively support programs that uplift historically underserved communities. In Birmingham, we have such a rich pool of young talent. This past weekend I had the opportunity to meet and talk with students from across the city at several events. The one topic that kept coming up is representation. As an attorney, it’s something I reflect on quite a bit because only around 5 percent of lawyers in America are Black; that number is even smaller when you are talking about Black women. Whereas numbers can vary depending on the studies, Black people only represent less than 10 percent of people who work professionally in the performing arts. Given the significant contributions that we have...