‘I Hold So Much in': Big Thought's Artivism Project Helps Students Open Up on Race, Social Justice

When you first meet him, Colby Glaspie is as soft spoken as they come. It’s not because he doesn’t have anything to say. He just doesn’t always know how to say it.The 16-year-old James Madison High School student from southern Dallas lives with his grandmother right around from a corner store where drug dealers and homeless people camp out. His extensive vocabulary gets him bullied in school.He turns to writing to help him vent. Putting his feelings onto paper helps him channel his emotions. “I hold so much in," he said, "that I don’t even know how much I hold in."Now he is sharing his writing and poetry through the Artivism project, organized by Big Thought, a local youth development nonprofit. The project gives young people in Dallas a way to explore and reflect on social and racial justice issues.The first installment of Artivism is a mural dominated by the image of a person screaming with the Dallas skyline glowing in the background. On the backside of the mural are photos of students and other young people. The mural made its debut at the Dallas Festival of Ideas last April.  Continue reading...