In every thriving democracy, the arts—including music and literature—play a vital if sometimes understated role in shaping public life. They do more than entertain; they inform, provoke thought, preserve memory, and create space for all voices. In times of political uncertainty or social division, the arts create room for a deeper commitment to and expression of principles like freedom of speech and pluralism.
The arts create room for a deeper commitment to and expression of principles like freedom of speech and pluralism.
Asking how art sustains democracy is not only a cultural question but also a civic one.
For writer and journalist Beth Macy, the bestselling author who will take the stage for Democracy360’s “Stories that Bind Us” event on October 17, the importance of books in nurturing democracy is clearer than ever.
“Particularly as local news continues winnowing, with newspapers folding and national outlets splintered and unable to fill the void, the best books are written by people who do what Maya Angelou instructed,” she said. “They write in such a way that their message goes from the brain straight into readers’ hearts.”
Books provide space for deeper reflection, offering readers the chance to step outside of their ideological silos and into someone else’s experiences, especially important in today’s culture of constant breaking news and social media soundbites. “We are educated, entertained, and enriched when we disappear into the lives of others,” Macy said. “And that makes us better citizens.”
“We are educated, entertained, and enriched when we disappear into the lives of others,” Macy said. “And that makes us better citizens.”
Like the written word, music also has the power to mobilize. “It has the unique ability to cut through clutter,” said the Karsh Institute’s Distinguished Fellow in Culture and Democracy Mike Ellison, who will emcee the “Common Sound, Common Ground” event on October 15 at Democracy360. “Music can inform the mind and inspire the heart. And in its purest form, it can transform you.”
From the country ballads that give voice to the struggles of rural poverty to the anthems that fueled the Civil Rights Movement, music has long told the story of America’s pursuit of justice and belonging. “Wynton Marsalis reminds us that jazz achieved racial integration before the great baseball player Jackie Robinson, because music—particularly jazz—requires intense listening and cooperation,” Ellison said. “You can point to the blues as the foundation for essentially all forms of what we consider American music and for the most popular music that exists globally.”
“You can point to the blues as the foundation for essentially all forms of what we consider American music and for the most popular music that exists globally,” Ellison said.
Music and books shape how we understand the world and our place in it. “Storytelling is how we best learn,” said Macy, who has spent her career spotlighting people and communities often overlooked by mainstream narratives. In Factory Man and Dopesick, she traced the ripple effects of factory closures and the opioid epidemic, revealing how individuals are shaped by broad economic and social forces. “Nonfiction books are even more important today because they help readers not only empathize with people and ideas they might not otherwise know (or run across in their ideological silos), but authors also hit pause and take a more considered, long-form approach, providing greater context by weaving in history and analysis with reported scenes.”
Like books, music also plays a crucial role in building understanding. Its rhythms and rituals can create a kind of civic cohesion that transcends language and geography. “Drum circles have brought communities together since the beginning of time,” Ellison said, noting that the drum is essential to nearly every culture on Earth. That kind of shared rhythm—crossing boundaries of race, place, and beliefs—creates the human ability to find “common ground” through “common sound.”
Both Macy and Ellison remind us that storytellers have always had a hand in shaping the public consciousness and civic life. “Creative people are able to express themselves without many of the barriers presented by formal industries,” Ellison said. Their work gives voice to experiences that might otherwise go unheard, and in doing so, they help us see one another more clearly.
That work is not without cost, especially in a time of growing pressure on the press and free expression. Yet, despite low pay, rising criticism, and even personal risk, Macy believes the work remains essential. “There’s no better job on the planet than to drive around talking to strangers, and then telling other strangers what you’ve seen, heard, and felt,” she said. “There is no better calling than bringing the truth to light.”