In a city plagued by “hyper gentrification” and police abuse, San Francisco neighborhoods that recently belonged to immigrant communities are turning into playgrounds for Silicon Valley’s elite. Long-time residents and small businesses are being evicted and properties “flipped” so landlords can charge astronomical rents. Youth and adults are profiled as they walk the streets of their own communities. Two young Latinos, Alex Nieto and Amilcar Perez Lopez, were shot down by police without apparent provocation, and months later the community still waits for answers. As we fight to keep San Francisco affordable and safe for our families, we also search for outlets to express our outrage and frustration in a positive way.

In 2014, PODER created a space to express ourselves using the love we have for our community at our Arts and Resistance gatherings. PODER had the opportunity to host several artists who shared their skills and gave us tools to incorporate art into our organizing campaigns. Working with CultureStrike, a network of artists, musicians, writers and filmmakers, we even created a billboard on 24th and Bryant streets on the wall of Galeria de la Raza, a long-time arts organization in the Mission.

We screen-print, wheat paste, and paint. We ride bikes and learn her/histories of murals, artists and resistance movements in our ‘hoods. The art created at our Arts and Resistance sessions is used at rallies, protests, and actions to share our stories.

Join us to learn, be inspired, create and organize for social change. Check out our calendar for upcoming Arts & Resistance sessions.