by Kristin Cook<\/p>\n
When I attended the Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands in Somerville,
\nMassachusetts over Columbus Day weekend, Isaac Prilleltensky\u2019s (2001) article,
\nValue-Based Praxis in Community Psychology: Moving Toward Social Justice and
\nSocial Action, was on my mind. (I had completed an analysis paper just the day before.)
\nPrilleltensky (2001) offers a set of values to promote personal, collective, and relational
\nwellness and urges the field of community psychology to intensify efforts to advance
\nsocial justice and social action. As the performances entertained me at the Honk!
\nFestival, I reflected on the festival\u2019s intent to promote social justice and activism.<\/p>\n
Honk! is a free, community organized, three day festival. Thundering brass bands from
\nall over the United States and the world descend on Davis Square for a \u201ccelebration of
\nmusic, community, and activism\u201d (honkfest.org, 2016). The festival is funded and
\norganized by the grassroots effort of one thousand volunteers, local businesses, and
\nresidents. Musicians come to the festival at their own expense, some traveling from
\ngreat distances (honkfest.org, 2016). I planted myself in the center of the square where
\nmore than twenty-five energized activist bands performed throughout the day. Band
\nnames were creative: Le Pompier Poney Club (Marseille, France), Environmental
\nEncroachment (Chicago, IL), Forward! Marching Band (Madison, WI), and Second Line
\nSocial Aid and the Pleasure Society Brass Band (Somerville, MA).<\/p>\n
I\u2019m aware of activist musicians who promote social justice and political agendas, but I\u2019d
\nnever heard the term \u201cactivist band\u201d prior to the Honk! Festival. According to
\nhonkfest.org (2016), an activist band is socially engaged, \u201csome in direct action and
\noutright political protest, others in community building, be it performing for social justice
\nor community-based organizations or conducting workshops in the public schools\u201d
\n(honkfest.org, 2016). Honk! Festival bands perform for free and symbolically, at street
\nlevel \u201cwithout sound amplification and with very little distance between artist and
\naudience\u201d in order to \u201ccreate a participatory spectacle to reclaim public space in ways
\nthat place them at the heart of activist politics\u201d (honkfest.org, 2016).<\/p>\n
The energy at the festival was electric; tubas, trombones, and drums boomed. I sat on
\nthe pavement and took in the atmosphere, appreciating the performances in solidarity
\nwith community members. I thought about the activist and social justice aims of the
\nHonk! Festival through the lens of Prilleltensky (2001) and community psychology. How
\ndid this festival promote collective wellness and the value of social justice? First, the
\nfestival did (as purported), reclaim public space. Streets in the square were auto-free,
\nallowing pedestrians to walk or dance freely through the square. Public parks were in
\nuse; emphatic music created a vitality that pushed community members together and
\npromoted collective emotional well-being. Second, because the festival was free of
\ncharge and performed at street level, it was inclusive. There was equal opportunity for
\ncommunity members to attend, regardless of socioeconomic background or status quo.
\nThe music, as a centerpiece of the festival promoted solidarity as the community
\nreveled in the sound together. Third, the city square venue provided an opportunity for
\nthe dissemination and transmission of ideas. Children asked questions, community
\nmembers paraded with signs expressing their idealistic needs (More parks for
\nSomerville!), and many advocated political agendas. In the execution of the Honk!
\nFestival, I could see the values of community psychology, social justice, and social
\naction all around me. Honk! will be back in Somerville again next October.
\n#commpsych<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kristin Cook is a graduate student in the Community Social Psychology department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.<\/p>\n
References
\nHonk! Festival of Activist Street Bands. (2016). Retrieved from http:\/\/honkfest.org\/about\/
\nPrilleltensky, I., (2001). Value based praxis in community psychology: moving toward
\nsocial justice and social action. American Journal of Community Psychology, 29
\n(5), 747-774.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Kristin Cook When I attended the Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands in Somerville, Massachusetts over Columbus Day weekend, Isaac Prilleltensky\u2019s (2001) article, Value-Based Praxis in Community Psychology: Moving Toward Social Justice and Social Action, was on my mind. … Continue reading