Large institutions often lag when it comes to embracing social change, but there are advantages to being on the cultural frontier. Kimberly Drew, an activist with a large social media following of her own, helps the Met engage with its audience. Here’s her advice for how to break through.
Meet People Where They Are
One mistake the art world commonly makes, Drew says, “is that we assume everybody wants culture or art in their lives. We have to provide relevancy to the community. That’s what keeps our brand the most effective.”
Learn to Use All Tools
In much of the corporate and nonprofit spheres, “there’s this elitist thought that Twitter activism means absolutely nothing,” Drew says. “It’s ageist. I’m really bothered by it. People spend so much time in these digital spaces. We need to be continuing that work, and educating folks around what change looks like [today].”
Go the Distance
A tweet is not a panacea. You still have to hold people—and institutions—accountable. “It’s a draining process, but if you actually want to see change, you have to keep pushing. It’s [not] like when you tweet at Delta because a flight attendant was rude. These changes aren’t as quick. There’s no customer service for civil rights.”
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