PoliticselectionsPresidential Elections
Molly Crabapple Celebrates Zohran's Political Victory
In a moment that felt less like a political upset and more like the turning of a page, artist and activist Molly Crabapple framed her celebration of Zohran Mamdani’s electoral victory with a poignant truth that resonates far beyond the ballot box: 'We don’t have enough examples of winning, so it’s really important to taste the sweetness when we do. ' This statement, offered to Hyperallergic, is not merely a comment on a single race but a manifesto for a generation of organizers and creators who have long operated in the shadow of systemic defeat.Crabapple, whose own work has consistently blurred the lines between art and activism, serving as a visual chronicler of dissent from Guantanamo to Rikers Island, understands that victories for figures like Mamdani—a democratic socialist and housing advocate—are cultural events as much as political ones. They are the tangible results of a grueling, often thankless, movement-building process that prioritizes tenant unions and mutual aid over corporate PAC money and hollow sloganeering.Mamdani’s win, likely secured in a New York district, represents a specific kind of political archetype gaining ground: the candidate who is not a career politician but an organizer, whose platform is built on material demands like canceling rent and defunding carceral systems rather than on vague promises of unity. For Crabapple, whose illustrations have given a face to the Occupy and Abolition movements, this victory is a validation of an entire ecosystem of struggle.It’s the proof that the countless hours spent in community centers, the art created in protest, and the relentless pressure applied to the levers of power can, against formidable odds, culminate in a seat at the table. The 'sweetness' she speaks of is a crucial antidote to the burnout that plagues progressive circles, a necessary fuel for the long fights ahead on issues from climate justice to a fraying social safety net. It’s a reminder that while art can document the pain of loss and the brutality of the status quo, it must also be present to bear witness to the rare, hard-fought triumphs, making them permanent in our collective memory and solidifying them as a new precedent for what is politically possible.
#Molly Crabapple
#Zohran Kwame Mamdani
#election win
#artist activist
#Hyperallergic
#featured
