Tourists photograph murals in the Liberty Station Arts District. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)
Before Jeff Bezos butchered The Washington Post, the newspaper introduced the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” meant as a warning that secrecy corrodes democracy, while transparency and accountability keep it alive.
Nine years later, amid polarization, economic dislocation and technological disruption, the phrase feels more urgent than ever. But what we too often overlook is that democracy’s survival depends not only on journalism, elections or laws — it also depends on creativity.
Yes, “Democracy dies in Darkness. “But it thrives in creativity. And nowhere is the light of creativity brighter — or more necessary—than in the cities where democracy is lived every day.
Sadly, a recent study found employment for young adults aged 22 to…
