In the last days of pre-pandemic 2020, we convened for four days in Los Angeles with our national community at the inaugural For Freedoms Congress to continue building a collective artists’ platform for public action and civic engagement.

With 500+ delegates from fifty states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, we imagined a new future, the beginnings of which are reflected in The Preamble. This is the work of artists: to envision more civil, more capacious, more generous, and more beautiful worlds.  

These magical few days together before the global closure set a new standard for collaborative action, helped launch the Wide Awakes, and set the tone for the 2020 Awakening campaign.