Rosie Perez at the Facing History School

The Facing History School [1] hosted another successful Speaker Series event on October 31^st, bringing actress Rosie Perez to address twelfth grade advisories. The series brings scholars, activists, and artists to the school to broaden students' understanding of "choosing to participate" and demonstrate the power of a single individual to make a difference in his or her community. Perez is Artistic Board Chair of the Urban Arts Partnership [2], Lead Arts Partner at the Facing History School. She spoke about her activism, her film career, and her childhood struggles with her signature toughness and candor, quickly winning the attention of her audience. 

Perez offered practical guidance regarding social justice work, collected from her years of experience advocating on behalf of the rights of low-income communities, people living with AIDS, and students.  "The first lesson to learn," she advised, "is assertiveness. Get in peoples' faces!"  She encouraged students to stay informed, to not only "read every book and watch every movie," but also to educate themselves on local and national political leadership. She reminded the students, too, that advocacy includes not just the direct action tactics of "screaming and yelling, protesting and marching," but the decidedly less glamorous business of negotiation and deliberation, especially with those with whom you disagree. 

Perez also underscored the endless possibilities born of a marriage between art and activism. Indeed, her own work has served as a testament to the power of these linkages. "Use your creative forces 150% to get people to pay attention to you!" she urged.

When asked about what catalyzed the growth of her social conscience, Perez recounted a crystallizing moment in high school, when a "guidance counselor did everything in her power to shrink [her] down...to a little brown Puerto Rican who wouldn't leave her corner." She resolved never to "let that guidance counselor win," and this "moment when the tables were turned," coupled with her first-hand understanding of racism and poverty, initiated a rich career in social justice work.