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CEE-Change Fellow
Cesar (he/him) knows sound and music are necessary catalysts for change. Creative director for Planet Chambo in Chicago, Illinois, he finds energy and rest through his own creative work as a DJ, spending time with family and friends, and sports. He brings interests and knowledge in youth program design, video and audio production, DJing, artist network, and podcast production to the Fellowship.
Cesar would like to travel to the largest solar plant in Morocco and record local traditions of music in Ecuador.
Dancing for Environmental Justice
The Project
"Dancing for Environmental Justice" aims to eliminate the barriers to inclusive, just, and sustainable access to green spaces across Chicago through transformative artistic performances that feature BIPOC artists. Our team intends to use the CEE mini-grant funding to fund episodes 2 and 3, which will take place at Steel Workers Park and the Chicago Botanic Garden on September 10th and September 21st. The Chicago Park District and Chicago Botanic Garden have agreed to partner with our team to host our DJ, dancer, and video team. This project will illustrate a unique way that we can use art as a catalyst to connect BIPOC artists and educators to green spaces in Chicago.
EE 30 Under 30 - Class of 2021
DJ Antonio Cesar showcases green spaces in Chicago one artistic performance at a time.
How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities?
“The preservation of ancestral form is meaningless without a genuine development program.”
As an artist, educator, and global meaning maker, I design artistic and educational programs for youth and young adults to conserve and uphold ancestral forms, including environments, cultures, and languages. This work challenges Western Colonial approaches to education by centering the learner’s identity, embodying youth-led approaches, and validating new media as literacy. Ultimately, I recognize that the environment is not only about the birds, bees, and trees but is about the places we live, learn, eat, and sleep.
Tell us about your journey to where you are today.
Today, I am in a state of Sankofa, which means I am revisiting my past to retrieve what is valuable for my ascension. This ascension is a spiritual and physical ascension into a place of broken cycles, curses, and ancestral guidance.
What are you happiest doing?
Health is the most important thing in my life, so I am happiest when I am working out, eating well, and feeling energized.
What book, film, or art piece has had the greatest impact on you?
My favorite genre of movies is psychological thrillers because they make me think until the next morning.