Art and Culture Can Both Fuel and Counter Hate, UN Discussion Heeds on Juneteenth
Art and culture can both fuel – On the occasion of Juneteenth, the United Nations convened a global conversation on the dual role of art and culture in shaping human conflict. The virtual event, titled Art Remembers: Culture as Witness and Prevention, brought together artists, historians, and activists to explore how creative expression can both amplify hatred and serve as a tool for its dismantling. Through vivid examples—from the symbolic weight of an enslaved African’s gold collar to the enduring legacy of Holocaust-era music—participants illustrated how cultural artifacts can illuminate the past and guide the present.
Juneteenth and the UN’s Commitment to Countering Hate
Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States in 1865, provided a poignant backdrop for the discussion. The event was part of the United Nations’ broader programming for the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, a initiative aimed at raising awareness about the role of cultural narratives in fostering or resisting prejudice. The choice of date underscored the connection between historical memory and contemporary efforts to combat intolerance.
Participants highlighted the power of art to either perpetuate division or inspire unity. By drawing from personal and collective experiences, they emphasized how creative works can serve as both mirrors and weapons in the fight against hatred. From the transatlantic slave trade to the genocides of Rwanda and Srebrenica, the event traced the historical roots of cultural expression as a force for transformation.
Historical Narratives and the Role of Museums
Chaloka Beyani, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, opened the discussion by framing hate speech as an “early warning” signal for atrocity crimes. He warned that rhetoric often precedes and accompanies “crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide,” urging the audience to remain vigilant in how stories are told and shared. Beyani’s perspective anchored the conversation in the urgency of addressing hate through cultural awareness.
Valika Smeulders, Head of History at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, offered a compelling example of how institutions can reshape historical narratives. She spoke about the museum’s exhibition Slavery: Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery, which was presented at the United Nations in 2023. Smeulders noted that many cultural institutions are built on histories of domination, yet they hold the potential to confront those legacies by giving voice to marginalized stories.
“The history of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans has long been separated from European history,” Smeulders explained. “It’s been framed as a distant past, a narrative of what was written rather than what was remembered.” Her insights highlighted the importance of bridging these divides through art. She described how the exhibition brought to light the ingenuity of enslaved women who hid rice in their hair before being transported across the Atlantic, a gesture that symbolized both survival and resistance.
By weaving such stories into public discourse, Smeulders argued, museums can help audiences see enslaved people not just as victims, but as individuals with agency, with names, and with lives. “These stories remind us that even in the face of oppression, there is a quiet power to remember,” she said, emphasizing how cultural artifacts can reclaim historical dignity and inspire future action.
Music as a Weapon of Resistance and Remembrance
Israeli clarinetist Nur Ben Shalom, co-creator of Lebensmelodien or Melodies of Life, offered a deeply personal perspective on the role of music in countering hate. Inspired by a letter from his great-aunt Salomea Ochs Luft, a pianist murdered during the Holocaust, Ben Shalom described music as a means of both remembrance and resistance. “When we perform these melodies, we are not just recalling the past—we are fighting against it,” he said, sharing his experience of playing at Auschwitz Birkenau, the German Nazi concentration and death camp (1940–1945).
Ben Shalom emphasized that art is not neutral. “It’s power—sometimes secret, sometimes hidden, but always a weapon we wield,” he stated. His students’ performances in southern Poland, including at the site of the Holocaust, illustrated how music can transcend time and space, reaching the heart of those who listen. “Music gets directly to the heart,” he said, underscoring its ability to evoke emotion and challenge dehumanizing ideologies.
Art as a Mirror of Hate and a Tool for Healing
Rwandan actor and playwright Diogène “Atome” Ntarindwa provided a stark reminder of how media can fuel hatred. He reflected on the role of RTLM (Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines), or “Radio Machete,” in normalizing dehumanization during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. “This station used jokes, music, and entertainment to make genocide seem inevitable,” he said, recounting his own experience as a witness during the conflict.
Ntarindwa, who joined the Rwandan Patriotic Front in 1994, described how art can transform personal trauma into collective testimony. In his play Hate Speech, he portrays a perpetrator who broadcasts hate through RTLM, recreating the mechanisms of dehumanization on stage. “By staging these broadcasts, we expose the hidden forces behind hate,” he explained. The performance became a powerful critique of how media can shape public perception and justify violence.
His experience also led him to visit Auschwitz, where he connected the genocides of Rwanda and Bosnia to the broader patterns of human suffering. “Art is not just a reflection of history—it’s a bridge between different tragedies,” he said, advocating for solidarity among survivors and witnesses across borders.
Collective Healing Through Ritual and Shared Memory
Bosnian American artist Aida Šehović shared how her project ŠTO TE NEMA (meaning “What You Don’t Know”) uses ritual to foster healing and understanding. The installation features thousands of traditional coffee cups arranged in public spaces, often accompanied by the act of brewing coffee—a daily ritual that has become incomplete for many survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
“The coffee cups are a symbol of what was lost,” Šehović explained. “They represent the lives taken and the memories that remain fragmented.” By inviting the public to engage with the installation, she transformed remembrance into a shared civic act. “This is not just about mourning—it’s about taking responsibility for the past and building a more inclusive future,” she said.
Šehović’s work exemplifies how art can shift memory from private grief to collective reflection. The participatory nature of the installation encourages individuals to contribute to the narrative, creating a sense of communal healing. “When people see these cups, they’re reminded that the genocide was not just a historical event—it’s a part of our ongoing story,” she added.
Throughout the discussion, participants reinforced the idea that art is a vital force in combating hate. Whether through the haunting imagery of a gold collar, the resilience of a hidden rice-storing enslaved woman, or the quiet act of brewing coffee, these examples showed how cultural expression can challenge prejudice and preserve truth. As the UN continues its efforts to counter hate speech, such creative testimonies offer a path toward understanding, reconciliation, and lasting change.
The event concluded with a call to action, urging artists and institutions to embrace their role as both witnesses and agents of transformation. By using art to confront hate, the participants demonstrated that the past is never truly distant—it is alive in every story, every symbol, and every act of remembrance. In doing so, they highlighted the enduring power of culture to shape the course of human history.
