I used to teach a course at the University of Pennsylvania about the history of art as commentary. Ironically, it was the commentary that I published as an artist critical of authoritarianism that eventually had me removed from the classroom by a pro-authoritarianism school administration that continues to be an apologist for genocide and an enthusiastic enabler of the cruel dismantlement of academia by the Trump White House.
Following the October 7th attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli targets and the subsequent claims of antisemitism leveled against anyone opposing Netanyahu’s retaliatory campaign of mass extermination and the wholesale slaughter of every Palestinian man, woman, and child in Gaza, I and other artists, journalists, writers, musicians, and teachers found ourselves doxed, canceled, and vilified by rightwing hate groups and pro-apartheid Zionists for supporting any and all attempts to uphold and enforce international law condemning ethnic cleansing and seeking the swift prosecution of war criminals.
Chief among those always being attacked by such extremist organizations as the ADL, the Canary Mission, and rightwing fascists worldwide for his principled and lifelong condemnation of nationalistic thugs, jingoists, racists, and homicidal despots is Roger Waters, whose pro-humanitarian activism, after decades of fighting for the rights and dignity of the marginalized, the disposed, and the victims of imperialism with his music and commentary, remains unparalleled in the recording industry.
After being invited to participate in the Palestine Writes Literature Festival in September 2023 and then denied entry onto the UPenn campus where the event was scheduled to take place, Waters became the symbol of anti-Jewishness for Ivy League presidents and capitulating trustees across the country, a list I would later appear on myself for supporting Roger, the BDS movement, free speech, and artistic/academic freedom everywhere.
Subsequently, Waters and I found our paths crossing frequently over the last few years, at one point even partnering on the creation of a cartoon he had literally dreamt and asked me to draw for him. Figuring that our paths are likely to continue crisscrossing on a regular basis as the fight for democracy and human rights becomes more and more imperative, we decided to pause for a free-form discussion about his legacy and how we all might contribute to the curation of a beautiful life built confidently upon the foundation of truth, justice, and love.
Dig it.
