Title

Placard stating "I AM A MAN" carried by Arthur J. Schmidt in 1968 Memphis March, 1968. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

A white poster with black lettering used by Arthur J. Schmidt during the 1968 Memphis March. 'I Am a Man' is a declaration of civil rights, often used as a personal statement and as a declaration of independence against oppression. In the United States and South Africa, the term 'boy' was used as a pejorative racist insult towards men of colour and slaves, indicating their subservient social status of being less than men. The response: 'Am I not a man and a brother?' became a catchphrase used by British and American abolitionists. A small Allied Printing Trades Council label is stamped on the bottom of the front of the poster at center in black ink. The back of the poster is blank.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM21A73_328

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

125,9Mb (3,5Mb) / 18,0in x 27,1in / 5405 x 8142 (300dpi)

Keywords

people black job politics country sign occupation museum political location century profession printer printers concept poster protest demonstration African American African-American B&W afro-american placard resistance Sixties United States of America rights black & white black and white B W 1960s activism 20th century civil rights Civil Rights Movement political event heritage American America USA demo protest march united states Unknown King Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jnr Martin Luther King Junior Martin Luther Schmidt cultural heritage Black History Heritage Art National Museum of African American History and Culture NMAAHC Heritage Art placards (information artifacts) Martin Luther King Jr Michael King Jr. Allied Printing Trades Council Arthur J. Schmidt Arthur J. Bud Schmidt Bud