Christian
Creatives for
Justice
A community where Christian artists are healed, equipped, and mobilized to be a key voice in the movement for justice.
It takes a VILLAGE
to raise an
artist
(At least a good one!)
COMMUNITY
We are family; an intentionally safe space where you'll find support and authenticity.
GUEST ARTISTS
We bring in guest artists to teach, inspire, challenge, and support
CREATE!
In this community we are inspired and challenged to create!
ARTISTRY
We have private artist workshops regularly to continue to grow in our craft(s)
MOBILIZE
We learn ways to use our artistry for justice, collectively and individually
BIBLICAL FRAMEWORK
We study God's Word together, particularly around the call of the Gospel to justice
HEALING
Heal from the wounds that keep us from thriving and creating
PROJECTS
Collaborate with fellow artists on
justice-centered projects
OUR VISION
We are living in an unprecedented era. You have a voice! Your artistry is part of it.
The power of the arts to influence culture, to destroy distorted narratives, to tear down every lofty, white-centering, power-mongering, silencing, gas-lighting, exploitative force that raises itself against the knowledge of God, is unlike any other medium.
History is full of voices, bodies, pens, instruments, and paintbrushes putting flesh on the call to justice. In some movements, struggle songs were even banned by the government because leaders know the power of the arts to inspire people toward change.
The centuries-long history of the enslavement and exploitation of Black and Brown lives has taken center stage and we find ourselves at a crossroads. Will the Body of Christ rise up and be the prophetic voice we were made to be? We serve the God who loves justice (Isaiah 61:8), the passion for which is in the very DNA of our faith.
In this community, we center marginalized voices. We hand the mic to the voices that are typically silenced. We all have a seat at the table for change and as we all contribute our gems in this space we are intentional about drawing out the voices that are sidelined elsewhere.
The mission of Christian Creatives for Justice (CCJ) is to foster an authentic community where Christian Artists are healed, equipped, empowered, and mobilized to develop their artistic craft(s), grow in their justice-rooted, Jesus-centered faith, and learn how to use both in pursuit of justice so that a movement of Christian artists for justice is released into the world to bring real change.
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OUR FOUNDER
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Gigi Khanyezi
By integrating theology, sociology, psychology, and the arts, Gigi has devoted her life to healing, equipping, empowering and mobilizing people to seek racial justice. As a dancer, former worship leader, poet, and sketch artist, she has used the arts as worship, as protest, as advocacy, and as a tool to mentor marginalized young people.
Gigi grew up in E. Oakland and, after 30 years in the US as a Latina woman of color activist, she relocated to Soweto, South Africa for ten years. She suddenly found herself considered white in this great, sprawling community of five million African souls in the most racially polarized country in the world. It was the greatest identity crisis of her life and she wrestled deeply with how to be a true neighbor, an agent of healing, and a catalyst for justice as a white person. Indeed, how to even just exist in that context while being viewed as white was a painful quandry.
The experience of being a life-long brown activist living as a white person in this context and considered as among the oppressors deeply impacted her understanding of the Gospel.
She is the Founder and Director of Jesus and Justice, where she is a writer, facilitator, anti-racist coach, artist, activist, and speaker. She has had years of training in the mental health field and one of her great passions is facilitating the healing of deep seeded wounds, particularly racial trauma. She has created a signature, live, online small group course called Jesus and Justice: A Journey Into the Heart of Racial Justice and Healing.
Gigi is currently a Doctoral Student at Howard University School of Divinity where she is integrating the healing of intergenerational, collective racial trauma with theology. She received her M.Div. with an emphasis in Intercultural Ministry and her B.A. in Sociology and African & African American Studies.
While in South Africa she had the great joy of fostering and adopting two very precious little boys, now her sons, whom she named Jericho and Judah.
Gigi can be found at: www.GigiOnline.org, www.GigiOnline.org/JesusandJusticeCourse
The Witness:
A Letter from the Angel Oak Tree
by Gigi Khanyezi
You Did It To Me:
Written While America Was Burning
by Gigi Khanyezi
JOIN THE VILLAGE!
We practice Jubilee Economics. That means if you have the resources, you have the option to sponsor someone who does not. We believe this to be a vital part of Kingdom community. We currently have six artists waiting and praying for sponsorship.
We meet every other Thursday from 11:00am-12:30 EST.
Join the Community and/or
Sponsor an Artist
Pay
Monthly
Sponsor
An Artist
for one year
Pay
Yearly
Sponsor
An Artist
for one year
CONTACT
Christian Creatives for Justice
We would love to hear from you!
Please don't hesitate to reach out.
