From Hull-House to Hip-Hop: On the Fierce Urgency of Play in Social Movements

Lisa Yun Lee 
Faculty, Director of the School of Art and Art History, 
Faculty, University of Illinois at Chicago 

The first image Lisa Yun Lee shows her audience is a photo of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., wearing his usual conservative suit and leaning on a pool table, attempting a behind-the-back trick shot. In this presentation, Lee shares her research on the importance of play in social justice movements, starting with the acclaimed Hull House settlement house. Hull House was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and featured a large playground, as recreation was considered important to the residents’ well-being. Lee illustrates how collective joy and ideas of artistic permissiveness infused the struggles of Hull House clients. She goes on to share examples of the use of art, theater, and recreation in more current social movements. 

Recorded: April 12, 2016