COVID-19 spreads exponentially by factors of 3. So we’re flipping that math on the virus and spreading an uplifting viral contagion. By artists adding their emotional truths and unique talents, we can weave a tapestry of powerful messaging that can impact millions of people to Stay Inside. Look Inside. But Stay Connected.
To participate in the challenge or learn more, click HERE.
This is the story of how a video campaign was created with the intention of engaging artists on the front lines of a complex environmental and public health issue. Call it realness, authenticity, or cultural relevance, but that intention helped produce real results for an organization trying to spark the nation.
The Opportunity
Green For All, a national initiative founded by Van Jones, was looking for an engaging way to launch their #FuelChange campaign; a movement to fight climate change and improve health by bringing zero-emission electric cars, trucks, and buses to underserved neighborhoods. On the strength of having produced multiple viral music video campaigns about social causes, Big Picture Anthems was hired by Green For All to produce a video campaign to launch #FuelChange.
Big Picture Anthems’ directive was to illustrate the health problems that come from tailpipe pollution in overburdened neighborhoods, in particular, asthma. We also wanted to broadcast a movement; people coming together to advocate for a solution — more funding for electric cars, trucks, and buses in affected areas across the country.
A Twist in the Strategy Phase
When Big Picture Anthems sat down with Green For All to plan the campaign, we all agreed that stories from people on the front lines of this crisis would resonate with people. So instead of using our in-house artists to write and produce the lyrics, we decided to open up a social media challenge. Local Artists submitted their verses on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to share how they’re affected by transit pollution. We worked with Green For All to build a web page for the Challenge, providing the beat, fact sheets, background info and examples of verses, so they could be equipped with all the ammo they need to write powerful verses.
A Conversation Starts…
We had submissions from artists from all over the country, from black to white, and young to old. We even had a grandmother submit a verse! Artists posted their verses with the hashtag #FuelChangeChallenge. They were reaching people in real-time with lyrical talent and storytelling, putting a face to this public health crisis.
This creative process framed the conversation about a complex environmental issue in a very human, visceral, way. Rappers, singers, and poets were approaching the same topic with different styles, flows, and cadences and articulating science and public health concepts to their friends and followers. For example, here’s a line from Warren Dickson from 3rd Rock Hip Hop, a featured artist: “More asthma and cancer, I guess we could say that it’s lethal, just google particulate matter, it’s killing a lot of our people.” After seeing the immense talent that was contributed from all over the country, we were able to select four amazing artists who all came from environmentally overburdened communities: West Oakland, Watts (L.A.) and New Bedford, MA.
From a visibility perspective, the #FuelChangeChallenge was attracting attention. Before we got to the production stage of the anthem, there were already hundreds of thousands of impressions for the hashtags and issue. We had built a community around this project; not just the artists who submitted, but also fans and activists who followed the submissions, commented on the social media videos and were waiting for the main event — the #FuelChange Anthem.
Cross-Continental Production
We had overcome our first challenge: finding artists who could bring transit pollution and electrification to life. Our next challenge was merging the talent into one cohesive anthem while staying true to what has made our video campaigns successful — authenticity. We conducted studio sessions in three (spell it out) cities, communicating through video chat and emails to get the anthem to sound like a seamless, powerful call for change. Video shoots followed from coast to coast, lots of editing ensued, and then more editing, until we got it right. The stories communicated by the artists felt real, as they were noticeably emotional, and they communicated a sense of urgency. And the upbeat and overall optimistic nature of the video with visuals of electric vehicles and regular people chanting “we’re gonna change this” in the chorus, provided a hopeful and powerful way to communicate solutions.
Launch Day
On April 3, 2019, Green For All launched the #FuelChange campaign by holding an event in Oakland and releasing the #FuelChange Anthem online. Within hours of its release, the video caught fire on Twitter. Influencers such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Alyssa Milano, Ashley Judd, and presidential candidate Jay Inslee were retweeting the video. Organizations across the country who had been pushing for reform around this issue for years were sharing the video. They finally had a rallying cry that spoke specifically to their issue. And young people of color were engaging with the content. Green For All National Director Michelle Romero says that “People who saw this video and maybe never thought of themselves as environmentalists, all of a sudden understood that tailpipe pollution was not only affecting the climate but actually affecting their health.”
Real Results
The impact of the video on the #FuelChange campaign has been undeniable. Overall, the video eclipsed 500,000 views and 1,000 social shares. It led to over 1,000 new sign-ups on FuelChangeNow.com, and 130 new volunteers. If you’ve spent any time in non-profit work, you’ll know that getting that many new volunteers is really difficult! The movement is now going strong; bills are being introduced in congress and many school districts are moving towards electric bus fleets. And the key to passage of such bills and systems change is to make a greater number of people aware, which this effort has helped do.
There was a great amount of strategy and intentionality that led to these results. With this recipe of community engagement and authentic artistic expression, we at Big Picture Anthems have developed a model that can work for many other causes. If your organization has an upcoming campaign, consider an approach that continues to produce awesome energy and impressive results.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Ben Gilbarg is the Founder and Creative Catalyst for Big Picture Anthems.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube to keep up with all of our campaigns!
Our latest video release is a Short Documentary featuring legendary rapper Masta Ace giving back to help 4 aspiring artists ages 12-19 pursue their dreams of being artists. Masta Ace coached the artists in a NYC studio as they recorded the next Big Picture Anthem entitled “Design Your Future.” The anthem is part of the #STEAMtheStreets initiative, which inspires and activates youth to pursue STEAM career paths. “Design Your Future” ” is available on all streaming devices.
Support these young artists’ careers and Big Picture Anthems by Watching The Short Documentary, downloading the song on any major streaming outlet and subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
From left to right: Lora Bottinelli, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts (partner), Nehemiah “Nuisance” Vaughn (artist), Joey “Cangaroo” Lovett (artist), Ben Gilbarg (producer), and Kevin Jauregui (Geoscientist in the Parks Intern)
A few months back, Big Picture Anthems was hired by Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to bring a couple of our artists down to Florissant, Colorado to experience this amazing National Park, and write songs about the experience. This just in: the songs are finalized, and our partner from Florissant, Jeff Wolin, wrote a great article about the project on the National Park Service’s website.
Listen to the songs and read the article HERE!.
Can you explain what you do in your job in 2-3 sentences?
As an electrical engineer in the power industry, I study how to convert energy from the sun, wind, and water into electricity. I have to determine how to connect these different forms of renewable energy to a local power system, without affecting the safety and reliability of the system. I use computer simulation programs to evaluate the effects of renewable energy and how to mitigate any potential issues.
Why do you give back as a guest speaker in the STEAM the Streets program?
I give back as a guest speaker because I want to inspire the next generation of engineers and musicians.
What is your favorite part about sharing your career and story with the students?
My favorite part about sharing my career and story is that I get to show the students a way to enjoy the best of both worlds. My career as an electrical engineer allows for financial stability. Making music allows me to express myself and connect with people who relate with my message.
Do you remember a student question, comment, or reaction they had that totally made your day?
I remember the smiles on some of the students’ faces when I was rapping. I could tell I caught them by surprise.
What is the importance of having a role model such as yourself providing exposure for our students?
Having a role model with a similar background to the students is important because it shows them that they can come from New Bedford and be whatever they want to be. I’ve wanted to be an engineer since I was in middle school and a rapper since high school. Instead of choosing, I decided to do both at the same time.
What is a side hobby you have or something you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to listen to music or write new music of my own. I love rapping and singing new songs to myself in the car.
For Daniel Sopel, the rewards that STEM has brought him have been plenty, and he loves sharing his experience with the students in his hometown of New Bedford, MA.
Recently, Daniel posted to LinkedIn about the experience he’s had working with Big Picture Anthems speaking at schools in New Bedford. One of the biggest things he’s noticed when speaking is that students don’t quite understand how many careers exist in STEM fields, and how many opportunities exist in the field. In Daniel’s words:
“A concept that I think we, as STEM professionals, can get across better than educational materials is relaying the huge range of jobs that are out there, and how behavior that students already exhibit could be important skills.”
Overall, Daniel’s bringing STEM back to New Bedford’s youth has certainly had an impact on them. In his article, he reflects on how telling students how he overcomes challenges inspires him…knowing they will likely use that piece of advice to get over one of their own challenges.
Big Picture Anthems got a huge write up in the SouthCoast Today newspaper, and highlighted just how important the #STEAMtheStreets movement is to both our community and the kids it seeks to empower. Check out the full article here!
We’ve had a productive school year bridging the gap between our youth and the STEAM fields that they’ll soon be desperately needed to fill. Since the publishing of the article, we’ve seen a lot more attention on social media and we’re looking to ride that wave into summer and eventually into next year.
So begs the natural question…what’s next for Big Picture Anthems and #STEAMtheStreets?
A recent trip out to Oakland opened our eyes to the possibility of a nationwide program to fill the ever-growing need for #STEAM trained employees. Not only do we hope to continue to inspire the youth within our community to be a part of this crucial field, but we also know that it’ll serve them well.
STEAM jobs pay a median hourly wage of $39.00 per hour, and the 93% of jobs in STEAM fields pay above the national average income. For the youth in our community and around the nation that are disadvantaged, the guarantee of a well-paying career is there. Big Picture Anthems seeks to show them it’s possible to seize this future.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe to our channel on YouTube to keep up with all of our campaigns!
Sat, February 17, 2018
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST
School Yard Rap and Big Picture Anthems partnered to create an all inclusive music video about
Black inventors. The upbeat anthem is from the first ever Black History Album, “Ourstory” by Griot B. “Black Made That,” brings to life inventions created by Black American trailblazers that shaped the fabric of our country. The video is part of S.T.E.A.M. the Streets, an initiative to inspire underrepresented youth to pursue STEM/STEAM career paths.
Featuring more than 400 students from New Bedford Massachusetts and Richmond, California, this cross continent project seeks to engage, uplift and inform all U.S. students about the rich history of Black Inventors.
Ben Gilbarg, the video’s director, and founder of Big Picture Anthems, shares his insight on why this video is important: “Youth listen to music and watch music videos constantly. Utilizing this relevant form of education certainly engages youth, and exposes them to the amazing contributions of Black people over time. Teaching a legacy of excellence helps them internalize that they too can become inventors, engineers and anything they put their mind to.”
As part of the S.T.E.A.M. after-school engagement program, fifth grade students at Carney Academy in New Bedford became stars of the production by performing a choreographed dance, and acting in the video. Karen Treadup, principal of Carney Academy states: “Our students were really engaged in the making of this video by Mr. Gilbarg and his staff. The students now feel ownership for the message that their future has unlimited possibilities.”
The writer and performer of “Black Made That,” Brandon ‘Griot B” Brown, serves as the president of the curriculum company School Yard Rap. He reached out to local high schools, elementary schools, and youth groups of Richmond California so students could be the emphasis of the STEM/STEAM inspired song. The song itself seeks to teach about Black made innovations with lyrics such as, “Wake up hit the switch, whole room light up / notice that filament all in the light bulb / wrinkled shirt, ironing board, use that nice huh / dry cleaned jeans. Nice touch.”
The video for “Black Made That” is available to view on the School Yard Rap channel on YouTube and Big Picture Anthems’ Facebook page. The first ever Black History Album, “Ourstory” by Griot B, is available for streaming or download on all streaming services.
“Black Made That,” will now become an integral part of S.T.E.A.M. the Streets school assemblies that use video, music, and relevant presentation to expose students to the vast career opportunities in Science Technology Engineering Art and Math.
For press inquiries, or to book school assemblies, video screenings, or performances contact: Brandon Brown – President, School Yard Rap 323-283-1481 [email protected] Ben Gilbarg-Executive Producer, Big Picture Anthems 508-965-1132
On Wednesday, May 17 at 6pm, at New Bedford’s co-working space Groundwork, Big Picture Anthems will be holding a presentation and reception for the dynamic outreach campaign #STEAMtheSTREETS. The campaign aims to inspire underrepresented youth to pursue STEM/STEAM career pathways.
As a country, we have a crisis on our hands. In a world revolving around technology, there’s not enough qualified people to fill tech. jobs. Over 1.4 million tech. jobs will go unfilled in the year 2020 if we don’t build the proper career pipelines. Only 25% of schools offer high quality computer science programs. There is also an immense diversity gap with only 5% of top tech employees being Black or Hispanic. Without the education and exposure, many young people think that technology jobs are scary, out of touch or just not for them.
Big Picture Anthems is using videos, music, social media and star power to reach youth and expose them to STEM/STEAM career pathways. The campaign is starting in New Bedford with plans to scale to a national level. #STEAMtheSTREETS is being produced by Ben Gilbarg, who brought the New Be, New Me Campaign featuring Samantha Johnson to New Bedford in 2016. Local high school students are currently engaging in creating the first iteration of a mobile web application that will ultimately be a networking hub for increasing the STEM/STEAM pipeline. Videos are currently being produced to profile rising stars and diverse professionals in STEAM career fields, as to demystify tech. careers for youth. Big Picture Anthems is developing a school assembly program to bring this message and dynamic content to engage area students.
The Goals of the Campaign are as follows:
-To spark students’ interest in STEAM through dynamic media.
-To raise awareness amongst youth about STEAM careers.
-To make connections to what students are learning in schools to real world employment.
-To inspire students by featuring success stories who come from similar backgrounds.
-To encourage diverse students to start on a STEAM career path.
The event will include a presentation about the campaign and a panel to explore diversity in STEAM. This event is Free. To read the deck and watch the “STEAM Anthem” v.1 video, visit www.BigPictureAnthems.com/Steam-the-streets.
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