These are historic times: our world has been hit with a new global pandemic, and now we in the United States are actively (once again) addressing the centuries old pandemic of racism, sparked by the death of George Floyd. I promised last week I would send this email with resources & ideas about how we can all create racial justice. I firmly believe that artists lead the way for transformation. It's one of the reasons I love doing GISH PICKS: highlighting a diversity of cultures is an important way to educate and open minds, which in turn reduces racism. Houston is the most diverse city in the country, and I have been spotlighting that since I first started this blog back in 2004.  

I received an email from Christ Church Cathedral this week that broke down the word "COVID" to "Co" which means "together" and "Vid" which means "to see." They made the case that we are all seeing together in this time. It's this seeing together that is changing the world. I hope you will open your eyes and join in!

In normal times, GISH PICKS is a blog with my curated PICKS of live cultural events on the weekend. Those haven't happened since mid-March so I re-worked the format to focus on 5 Houston-based arts & culture organizations in my (Almost) Daily Dose of ARTS PICKS blog each week of quarantine. You can see each edition -- and read about 45 arts groups! -- here. 

Some of Houston's art spaces are now opening up and I've been exploring them and staying updated on their news. Next week I will debut the latest format for my blog: my ARTS PICKS Spotlight. Each week, I will let you know about a space that is open along with details of all their activities and a video to bring them to life. I'll keep doing that until live events start happening on a larger scale. I am so ready to go to movies, plays, concerts again, and will alert you as soon as that happens. In the meantime -- here's something fun: you can safely enjoy drive-in movies at the Orange Show, Sawyer Yards, and the Showboat Drive-In!

I've chosen the image here because it combines art and justice in a meaningful way. "Jubilee: Ghana Harvest Festival" is by John Biggers, a much-beloved artist, professor, and founder of the Texas Southern University  art department in 1949 . Click on it for more info.

And now...some racial justice resources I recommend. Before you begin, please take a look at a document I wrote titled "Simple Steps to Being a Changemaker," and this handy dandy list of ways to take action. It's past time for ERACISM! 

➡️ Attend Hear Our Voices: Virtual Women's Dialogue on Race and Culture this Saturday, June 13, 7-9pm.
 
➡️ Watch racial justice films -- I've got links to my posts about them here, here, here, here, and here (whew!).



➡️ Join Creative Conversations/digital, presented in conjunction with FOTOFEST BIENNIAL 2020 and the "African Cosmologies: Photography, Time, and the Other" exhibition and book. 

➡️ Join the Anti-Racist Book Club, created by 14 Pews director Cressandra Thibodeaux (the first meeting is July 30).

➡️ Read all of The 1619 Project articles in the New York Times.

➡️ Download this list of Anti-Racism Resources which includes books, films, podcasts, articles, organizations, and more. 

➡️ Follow Black Lives Matter (the national org and the Houston chapter).

➡️ And just for kids & parents: pre-order a set of Crayolas of the World; show them the CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall; check out the Houston Moms' Blog Guide to Diversity; and get some ideas from this round-up of celebrities talking to their kids about racism.

Whew! There you go...now git on out there and listen, learn, change.


Sincerely,

Sarah Gish
713.492.1173

P.S. If you want to IGNITE YOUR LIFE! now or anytime, check out my " 12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily." I'm very proud of that list and hope it will help you live a better life. Meditation, taking care of yourself, enjoying life and laughing -- plus more! -- is what will get us through this stressful time.