In a world where culture is often reduced to a line item on a corporate balance sheet, a powerful conversation recently took place that challenged the very foundation of how we consume and create. Moderated by Rolla Selbak, a panel featuring Van Lathan, Vic Mensa, and Angelica Ross dove deep into the heart of Rebel Culture, Arts, and Maroon Media. The discussion wasn't just about entertainment; it was about survival, liberation, and the strategic control of the human imagination.

When we think of Western culture today, we are often looking at a culture of consumption. As Selbak pointed out, if culture weren't a vital tool for liberation, the "parasite class" wouldn't work so hard to colonize, steal, and control it. From the boardrooms of global banks to the recording studios of the world's biggest stars, the battle for our attention is actually a battle for our souls. This panel explored why art is the ultimate modality of translation and how we can reclaim it to build a better world.

The conversation began with a provocative question: Why is art and culture so important for the elite to control? Van Lathan offered a profound perspective, suggesting that art is the most powerful tool for human translation. While we come from different backgrounds and experiences, art binds the human experience together through a shared language of feeling.

"We actually see in feelings. We see in emotions," Lathan explained. Because emotions are the most valuable thing in the world, those who can manipulate or aim them have immense power. When a cultural figure or an artist captures the collective emotion of a people, they become more than a celebrity—they become a god-like figure capable of leading people toward their own betterment or toward their own destruction.

Lathan’s warning was clear: many artists today are evangelizing the people into worshiping things that are at cross-purposes with their liberation. When art is used to "choke" the people rather than free them, it is the responsibility of the community to call out the "bullshit" and demand a different way of being.

Vic Mensa expanded on this by discussing how art reaches the depths of the human experience in a way that academia or raw information simply cannot. Music, in particular, resonates with the very "water in our being," conveying truths that bypass the logical mind. However, this resonance can be weaponized.

Mensa used the example of hip-hop to show how human connection can make destructive ideas palatable. When an artist shares their genuine pain and struggle, the audience feels a deep sense of empathy. But if that same artist then "peppers in" misogyny, anti-blackness, or the promotion of poison within the community, the audience often swallows the poison because they love the person delivering it.

Angelica Ross brought a vital perspective to the panel, comparing the need for art to the need for sexual health and personal autonomy. She argued that the "system"—typically a white male patriarchal structure—strives to control art because it wants to control the limits of your imagination.

Ross shared her experience playing the iconic character Candy Ferocity on the FX hit show Pose. Candy represented the loud, inconvenient voice that society often tries to push out of the room. Ross noted that the world often fails to see the beauty and value in these voices until it is too late, or until a literal spotlight is shined upon them by the powers that be.

However, Ross offered a powerful lesson in self-sovereignty: "Sometimes you have to step away from the spotlight and make it follow you." By recognizing that art is an internal human calling rather than something granted by an external source, creators can reclaim their power and move beyond the boundaries set by the "parasite class."

The panel concluded with a reminder that art is inherently political. Historically, artistic movements have always been closely monitored by systems of power. From the poets of the Harlem Renaissance being placed on FBI watch lists to the modern-day "digital renaissance," creative expression has always been a threat to the status quo.

In the current global climate, where empires are shifting and the "American empire" faces unprecedented challenges, culture remains a primary export. This export can be used to justify imperialism or to fuel a movement for democracy and justice. The choice lies with the creators and the communities that support them.

The central question posed by Rola Selbach remains: Who are we after we run out of things to buy? The answer is found in our art, our stories, and our rebel culture. When we strip away the layers of corporate control and "bought-off" celebrity influence, we find a raw, powerful human impetus to create and connect.

To be a "Maroon" in the modern media landscape is to escape the plantation of the mind and build something new in the wilderness. It requires a commitment to truth, a refusal to peddle poison to our own people, and the courage to step out of the artificial spotlight to find our own light. As this panel reminded us, the revolution will not only be televised—it will be sung, painted, and felt in every fiber of our being.