Activist New York Programs
In a town renowned for its in-your-face persona, citizens have banded together on issues as diverse as historic preservation, civil rights, wages, sexual orientation, and religious freedom. Inspired by the ongoing exhibition Activist New York, which presents the ideas and conflicts that underlie New York City’s history of agitation, this program series looks at how a legacy of social activism shapes the city we know today.
Click on a program below to learn more and purchase tickets.
Immigration Activism in NYC Today
Join us for a panel discussion on Immigration Activism in NYC Today.
Past Event: Cocktails & Culture: Sounds of Change
Celebrate the power of music and art to inspire social change. Enjoy sets by DJs Misbehaviour and Operator Emz plus a slideshow and Q&A with photographer Janette Beckman.
The Activist's Media Handbook with David Fenton and Jamal Joseph
Join Progressive PR leader David Fenton and filmmaker, professor, and former Black Panther Jamal Joseph for a conversation about the power and limits of activism today.
Past: Virtual Zine Workshop
Join us for a virtual zine workshop, in collaboration with The New York Public Library. Learn about the history of zines in activist movements, and then make your own!
Past: The Playwright as Activist: Lorraine Hansberry's Legacy
Playwright Lynn Nottage leads a discussion with fellow writers about activism, theater, and the legacy of Lorraine Hansberry.
Past: Community Arts as Activism Workshop
Kick off the Museum of the City of New York’s first-ever "Freedom Week: A Journey into Art and Activism" with our first celebration of freedom through art-making for families and children.
Past: I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys
Join authors Shawn Dove and Nick Chiles for a celebration of stories of loving, learning and leading for and by Black men and boys, including a special reading and conversation around their acclaimed book, I Too Am America: On Loving and Leading Black Men & Boys.
Past: Mobilizing Chinatown: Past and Present on Film
An evening of past and contemporary documentaries about resilience, repression, and mobilization in Chinatown, followed by a talkback with directors Curtis Chin, ManSee Kong, and Betty Yu.
Past: Past: Raise Your Voice with Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
Opening reception and program for "Raise Your Voice," artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya's new installation.
Past: Green Activist New York Fest
Join us for a free, outdoor and intergenerational day of empowerment, action, and art inspired by the city's thriving climate activism scene.
Past: Reimagining "Quality of Life" in Public Spaces
The third and final event in our series "Envisioning Alternatives to Policing."
Past: Reimagining Violence Prevention
Times reporter Ashley Southall leads an expert discussion about how urban communities are developing new approaches to violence prevention.
Past: Envisioning Alternatives to Policing: Mental Health
The first event in our series "Envisioning Alternatives to Policing" with New York Times reporter Ashley Southall.
Past: Basketball & Activism: A Conversation with Tina Charles
WNBA player and activist Tina Charles discusses her career and the causes that she is passionate about.Supporters
Activist New York and its associated programs are made possible by The Puffin Foundation, Ltd.
Activist New York is the inaugural exhibition in The Puffin Foundation Gallery, which is dedicated to the ways in which ordinary New Yorkers have exercised their power to shape the city's and the nation's future.
