Season 6 | Episode 102: Persistence in Hope with Andre Henry

What does hope mean to you, and how do you practice it? Lindsy Wallace talks with award-winning musician, writer, and activist Andre Henry about sustaining hope, translating it into action, and how art can help dismantle empires. 

In this episode, we:

Talk about his newly released book, All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep, and who he wrote it forGo over Andre’s practice of always reading something about hope to remind himself of what’s possibleAsk what the role of art is in the work of justiceTalk about how artists can play so many roles in the movement: creative strategist, messenger, morale keeper, and so onDiscuss what it means for Andre to be an artivistConsider the power of a committed minority working toward social progressTalk about relationships he’s lost and what he’s gained in community, hope for change, and space for himself to truly beDiscuss the connection between hope and action, as well as the role has faith played in sustaining hopeGo over Andre’s hope regimen to stay healthy and mitigate despair

Join us in this rich conversation as we dive into how hope is more than optimism: it’s about imagining and creating a better world and writing history. Let us know what you think and what hopeful action you can take in your own communities. 

News, Notes, and Links:

You can find Andre on the web, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and SoundCloud. Order your copy of Andre’s book, All the White Friends I Couldn’t Keep, here.Check out the book Andre mentioned, Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit, here.Learn more about the work of Erica Chenoweth, Ph.D. on civil resistance. Support more conversations like this on Upside Down Podcast! Please visit us, where you can pledge a few dollars of monthly support to help us pay our bills and keep the conversations going.Learn more at Upside Down Podcast.We’re on Instagram, too. You can find us individually at @patricia_a_taylor, @kayla_craig, @from_here_sessions, and @lindsy.wallace.Join the Upside Down Together listener group on Facebook!Support the show