Dr. Martha Gonzalez, Associate Professor and Chair Intercollegiate Department of Chicanx Latinx Studies, Scripps/Claremont College A song as a sonic and literary manifestation is life’s soundscape, a unique, cathartic memento as well as a powerful political tool. A song can also be an important historical text. A person’s testimonio (testimony), life views, triumphs, aphorisms, and struggles can be expressed in song lyrics. In this way, song lyrics can transmit ways of knowing and theorizing about life. It can also be viewed as alternative ways of creating knowledge. When practiced in community, songwriting can be a powerful exercise in consensus building and collective knowledge production. My talk will discuss the collective songwriting process as it is utilized by Chican@ Artivistas in East L.A. I will share the history and development of the method, the different stages of the process and the significance it has had in Chicano Latino communities in East LA. THU / SEP 24, 2026 / 7:30 PM Online Zoom Lecture FREE RSVP RSVP here. Set a reminder here. Read program here. Read program notes here.