In Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, we meet poet Aja Monet, legal justice advocates Meena Jagannath and Alayah Glenn, and artist Eddie Arroyo to talk about how art and poetry are giving voice to urban communities fractured by gentrification.

Arroyo’s paintings reference photographs he takes to capture the character of vanishing cultural landmarks. Monet is founder of Smoke Signals Studio, a music space that’s become a transformative communal gathering place in Little Haiti. Jagannath and Glenn are two of the activists that run the local Community Justice Project, a young grassroots initiative focused on addressing issues ranging from women’s and immigrant rights, to race and economic justice.

These individuals represent a growing movement of civic engagement across the nation. As they animate their vision for Miami’s possible future, we see the infinite potential for creative interventionists to empower disenfranchised communities around the world.

Sound Editor: Anamnesis Audio | Special Audio: Arsimmer McCoy Early | Photographs inside Smoke Signals Studio by Alex Markow, courtesy Fresh Art International. Other photos courtesy Maroon Poetry Festival, Community Justice Project | Feature Photo by Monica Uszerowicz: Serge Toussaint mural, Little Haiti, Miami

Related Episodes: The Art of Capitalism, Where Art Meets Activism, Cultural Complexity in Little Haiti, Maria Alyokhina on Political Art, Marinella Senatore on Modern Life, Tania Bruguera on Art Activism, Andrea Bowers on Environmental Activism

Related Links: Smoke Signals Studio, Community Justice Project, Dream Defenders, Maroon Poetry Festival, Eddie Arroyo