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Home , Bob Adelman, Danny Lyon, Gordon Parks, James Karales, March Against Fear

Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The 1 The Civil Rights Movement

How can photography be used to expose inequity in society and sway public opinion?

How are contemporary perspectives informed by historical narratives?

Although the roots of the movement stretched back centuries, images of the African American fight for equality gained far greater exposure in the 1950s and 60s than in previous decades as pictures of white aggression, black suffering, police brutality, freedom marches, sit-ins, and funerals were widely broadcast on TV and published in books, magazines, newspapers, and posters. This Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide of historic photographs features a sampling of works from the Addison’s collection offering varied perspectives and discussion points for this formative period.

Educators are encouraged to use this Guide and the expanded Portfolio Image List as a starting point, a place from which to dig deeper, ask questions, and make new connections for class plans and projects. This Portfolio Guide contains selected For online use, click the images in this guide to access digital images in the Addison’s online database. artworks and ideas to connect the Addison’s collection with classroom SELECTED THEMATIC APPROACHES themes, disciplines, and curricula. Documenting Segregation — What choices do photographers make, either consciously or unconsciously, Digital images of works from this Guide that reveal their perspectives? can be downloaded from the Addison’s website for use in classrooms. Visits to Behind the Scenes Perspectives — How can the power of images to sway public opinion be harnessed by a explore works in the Addison’s Museum social or political movement? Learning Center can be arranged as a Images of and as Protest — How can photography and photojournalism be a form of protest? complement to the viewing of current Documentation: RFK — What stories about society can images of tragic events tell? exhibitions. Comparing Perspectives: Media and Publicity — How does the reproduction of images perpetuate society’s www.addisongallery.org values, beliefs, fears, and aspirations? Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 2

A (b. 1924), Trolley, New Orleans, from series The Americans, neg. 1955-56, print c. 1981, gelatin silver print, 9 3/4 x 15 in., museum purchase, 1989.77.18

B Robert Frank (b. 1924), Charleston, South Carolina, from series The Americans, neg. 1955-56, print c. 1981, gelatin silver print, 9 15/16 x 14 13/16 in., museum purchase, 1989.77.13

C Elliott Erwitt (b. 1928), North A B Carolina, 1950, gelatin silver print, 7 15/16 x 12 in., museum purchase, 1986.19

D (b. 1942), Demonstration at an “all-white” swimming pool, Cairo, Illinois, from series The Complete Civil Rights Portfolio, 1962, printed 2005, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., museum purchase in memory of Rebecca B. Miller and Albertine B. Hayes, 2012.79.1 C D

Documenting Segregation What choices do photographers make, either consciously or unconsciously, that reveal their perspectives?

How can photography and video be used to expose and publicize inequity in society today?

In 1955-56, a Guggenheim Fellowship allowed Robert Frank, a Swiss-born photographer, to travel throughout the United States with the goal of creating a book. The 83 photographs ultimately chosen for The Americans offer a raw and insightful documentation of a country in transition, both celebrating its strengths and exposing the cracks in the veneer of hope and optimism that defined postwar culture. Frank’s photograph of a segregated trolley in New Orleans, with its black riders in the back and whites in the front, seemingly imprisoned behind the “bars” of the windows, reveals the blatant inequalities that were still such a part of life in the South at the time.

Photojournalist Elliot Erwitt’s photograph of segregated water fountains was not intended to be a symbol of the Civil Rights era; he just happened upon the scene and was drawn to the juxtaposition of elements. Nevertheless, the resulting photograph quickly gained currency as a call for change. Emblematic of the that enforced racial segregation throughout the South beginning in the 1890s, the physical discrepancy between the fountains reveals the hypocrisy of “.” Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 3

F Danny Lyon (b. 1942), SNCC workers outside the funeral for girls killed at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church: Emma Bell, Dorie Ladner, Dona Richards, Sam Shirah, and Doris Derby, Birmingham, Alabama, from series The Complete Civil Rights Portfolio, 1962, printed 2005, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., museum purchase in memory of Rebecca B. Miller and Albertine B. Hayes, F 2012.79.21

G Danny Lyon (b. 1942), Singing group at the on Washington. Basis for the SNCC poster titled “Now,” Washington, DC, from series The Complete Civil Rights Portfolio, 1962, printed 2005, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., museum purchase in memory of Rebecca B. Miller and Albertine B. G Hayes, 2012.79.15

H (1912-2006), Untitled H (Black Muslims), 1963, gelatin silver print, 9 x 13 3/16 in., museum purchase, 2017.13

I Stephen Shames (b. 1947), Panthers in Provo Park in Berkeley, 1969, printed 1976, gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 in., purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2007.98 J J Stephen Shames (b. 1947), Lt. Tamm I Arresting Franklin Alexander, Head of the Defense Committee in San Jose, 1969, printed 1976, gelatin silver print, 5 x 9 1/2 in., Behind the Scenes Persepctives purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P What additional perspectives can behind-the-scenes access to groups and organizations provide? 2005, 2007, 2010), 2007.106 How is the power of images harnessed by social or political movements today, such as Black Lives Matter?

In 1962, Danny Lyon, then a 20-year old student, was hired as the first staff photographer of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). His photographs take us inside the movement and document the idealistic and multiracial character of the movement’s early years, showing how students joined together to peacefully combat (additional photographs on pages 2 and 5).

In 1963, Gordon Parks, Life magazine’s first African-American staff photographer, was sent on assignment to photograph Black Muslims, followers of the , a religious organization that combined Muslim tenets with black nationalism. Parks was granted unprecedented access to photograph the movement for the magazine, from self-defense classes, to training against live police dogs, to demonstrations.

The principal chronicler of the Black Panthers, the photographs of Steven Shames, then a student at UC Berkeley, offer a more nuanced view of the group than was portrayed in the media. Shames’ behind-the- scene images reveal the complexity of the militant national organization, which advocated insurrection and armed resistance but also fought for empowered black communities. Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 4

K Ernest C. Withers (1922-2007), Dr. Martin Luther Jr., and Reverend on First Desegregated Bus Ride. Montgomery, Alabama, December 21, 1956, 1956, gelatin silver print, 14 x 17 in., gift of Harvey and Sondra Burg, 2010.71

L (1930-2002), Selma to Montgomery March, 1965, gelatin silver print, 16 x 20 in., purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2010.8

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Images of and as Protest How do the intentions of photographers, editors, and publishers impact the narrative of a national story?

How does photography and photojournalism act as a form of protest today?

African American freelance photographer Ernest Withers documented many of the most important events of the Civil Rights era, including the quiet dignity of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy riding on the first desegregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 21, 1956. Despite lending considerable time and talent to advocacy, social justice, and equality, Withers was recently revealed to have also been an FBI informant. While shocking, this dual role speaks to the complexity of the times and the enormous pressure exerted on people to inform.

A photographer for Look magazine, James Karales was sent to shoot the Selma-to-Montgomery March for Voting Rights for an upcoming article. On March 25, 1965, 25,000 participants—the largest civil rights gathering the South had yet seen—converged at Alabama’s state capital of Montgomery, concluding a four-day march that began fifty-four miles away in Selma. Karales’ now iconic photograph of marchers crossing barren land under a stormy sky captures the spirit and strength of conviction demonstrated by hundreds of Americans seeking basic human rights during those tumultuous and dangerous times. Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 5

M Danny Lyon (b. 1942), Arrest of Eddie Brown, Albany, Georgia, from series The Complete Civil Rights Portfolio, 1962, printed 2005, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., museum purchase in memory of Rebecca B. Miller and Albertine B. Hayes, 2012.79.6

N Robert (Bob) Adelman (b. 1930), Alabama. Birmingham. 1963, 1963, printed later, gelatin silver print, 6 5/8 x 9 11/16 in., © / M N 0 Danny Lyon (b. 1942), , SNCC photographer, is arrested by the National Guard, Cambridge, Maryland, 1962, printed 2005, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in., museum purchase in memory of Rebecca B. Miller and Albertine B. Hayes, 2012.79.32

P Jack R. Thornell (b. 1939), after being shot with bird shot, 1966, gelatin silver print, P 6 11/16 x 9 1/8 in., museum purchase, O 1987.550

Images of and as Protest How do media images construct national and international narratives of significant events today, such as the 2016 Women’s March?

What role should the photographer play during such events?

In April and May 1963, there were a series of protests in Birmingham, Alabama, which then remained the most segregated city in the South. The demonstrators—children and adults alike—were arrested and met with police brutality, as ordered by Birmingham Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor. The photograph by Robert Adelman shows just one of the many instances in which police used water cannons to break up a demonstration and it reveals the ferocity of the water pressure, as the crowd is violently pushed off frame.

In 1966, the Associated Press sent 26-year old photographer Jack Thornell to document as James Meredith set of on a 220-mile “” from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi intended to encourage black citizens across Mississippi to vote. But on the second morning of the march, Meredith, who had been the first black student admitted to the University of Mississippi in 1962, was shot by a sniper Klansman and survived. Thornell took only a single frame of Meredith writhing in agony and that image would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize the following year. Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 6

Q Harry Benson (b. 1929), Bobby - Los Angeles, 1968, gelatin silver print, 20 1/2 x 29 in., gift of Jonathan Otto (PA 1975), 2015.13

R Harry Benson (b. 1929), Ethel - Los Angeles, 1968, gelatin silver print, 20 1/2 x 29 in., gift of Jonathan Otto (PA 1975), 2015.14

S Paul Fusco (b. 1930), Untitled, from series RFK Funeral Train Rediscovered, 1968, cibachrome print, 30 x 21 in., purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2008.119.18 Q

T Paul Fusco (b. 1930), Untitled, from series RFK Funeral Train Rediscovered, R 1968, cibachrome print, 30 x 21 in., purchased as the gift of Katherine D. and Stephen C. Sherrill (PA 1971, and P 2005, 2007, 2010), 2008.119.9

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Documentation: RFK How can photography immortalize or commemorate moments in history?

What stories can images of tragic events tell about about photojournalism and societal values today?

On June 5, 1968, less than three months after the murder of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles as he campaigned for the presidential nomination. Scottish-born photojournalist Harry Benson was on the scene when the bullet hit. With an unnervingly close approach and a startling immediacy, Benson captured the frantic moments as aides rushed to the wounded candidate and as wife Ethel Kennedy, who was pregnant with the couple’s eleventh child, raised a shielding hand.

Soon after the assassination, Kennedy’s body was flown to for a memorial service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then carried by train from New York to Washington D.C. for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. On board the train was Magnum photographer Paul Fusco, who was on assignment for Look magazine. From inside the train, Fusco took some 2000 photographs of the hundreds of thousands of mourners—black, white, rich, and poor—who had gathered together along the railway tracks to pay their final respects to Kennedy. Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 7

U Donald Blumberg (b. 1935), T. V. Political Series, 1968, gelatin silver print, 20 x 24 in., museum purchase, 1998.80.4

V (1928-1987), Birmingham Race Riot, from series X + X (Ten Works by Ten Painters), 1964, screenprint on wove paper, 20 x 24 in.

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Comparing Perspectives: Media and Publicity How does the reproduction of images perpetuate society’s values, beliefs, fears, and aspirations?

How can repetition desensitize viewers to tragic events?

Artist Donald Blumberg photographed political events and figures as they appeared on the evening news including President Lyndon Johnson delivering his State of the Union address and President Richard Nixon introducing his cabinet. For this image, Blumberg took a series of 4x5 negatives of the broadcast of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral and printed them into a single image. In some frames, , Dr. King’s widow, can be clearly seen, but in others the blurred movements have turned the scenes of the funeral procession into abstractions.

Andy Warhol’s silkscreen uses a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Bill Hudson as its source. It shows a young man, Walter Gadsden, embodying passive resistance as a police dog lurches at his stomach in Birmingham. The photograph ran on the front page of the New York Times on May 4, 1963. In the early 1960s Warhol used images of disasters and violence from news media as sources for his paintings, often repeating them in grid-format in order to “empty” them of meaning. However, as a singular screen print, the image of Gadsden retains its power. Addison Gallery of American Art Permanent Collection Portfolio Guide: The Civil Rights Movement 8

Curriculum Connections and Resources SUGGESTED CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS History/Social Studies • Otherness Art • history of slavery in the • equality and justice • representation United States • protest • narrative Arranging a Visit to the • Jim Crow laws • Sula • composition and storytelling Museum Learning Center • separate but equal • Their Eyes Were Watching • works in series At least two weeks in advance • Plessy v. Ferguson God • images as protest or preferably more, contact: • non-violent protest • Native Son • photojournalism Jamie Gibbons • contemporary race relations • Invisible Man • photography (978) 749-4037 • contemporary civil rights • To Kill a Mockingbird • social documentation [email protected] disputes • The Help • journalism and the media • I Know Why the Caged Bird to schedule your visit and Sings English discuss possible themes, • The Watsons Go To • race relations applicable portfolios of works, Birmingham and related activities. • race and identity

CONNECTIONS TO ADDITIONAL THEMATIC PORTFOLIOS American Identity Race and Otherness Types/Stereotypes Representation and Reality Images and the Media Photographic Technologies

TEACHER AND STUDENT RESOURCES John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Integrating Ole Miss: A Civil Rights Milestone. http:// microsites.jfklibrary.org/olemiss/home/ A collection of primary souce documents and photography.

Lyon, Danny. Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement. Santa Fe: Twin Palms Publishers, 2010. Lyons’s 212 black-and-white photographs, taken from 1962 to 1965, document the early years of the SNCC.

Kasher, Steven. The Civil Rights Movement: A Photographic History, 1954-68. New York: Abbeville Press, 1996. An examination of the events of the Civil Rights Movement as documented through photography.

Shames, Stephen. The Black Panthers. New York: Aperture Foundation, 2006. The full series of Addison Gallery of American Art photographs Shames made of members, events, and actions of the Black Panthers Party. Phillips Academy, Andover, MA Education Department Berger, Maurice. For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010. Online exhibition at http://fatwts.umbc.edu/online-exhibition/ Examination Jamie Gibbons Head of Education of the impact of photography, television, film, magazines, newspapers, and advertising on the Civil Rights Movement. Christine Jee Manager of School and Fusco, Paul. Paul Fusco: RFK. New York: Aperture, 2008. Published in 2008 to commemorate the fortieth Community Collaborations anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination. www.addisongallery.org