Jackie Huff, Jake Hampton, and Ben Kurtz

 

Background Information

Even after America passed civil right legislation in the 1960’s, African Americans – and particularly those living in cities continued to experience social inequities including poverty, joblessness and police brutality was often exercised in keeping order. The Black Panther Party was formed by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in an effort to challenge police brutality and offer “Survival Programs” to aid poor people mostly in urban centers.  Because the Black Panthers believed economic exploitation was at the root of all oppression, the FBI deemed them communists and the greatest threat to national security.  While the Panthers were vocal protestors and had many stand with them in protest, they protected their own from police brutality by exercising their right to bear arms and their conflicts with the FBI eventually led to defensive violent acts.

In November of 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio, twelve year old Tamir Rice was playing with a pellet gun in a park when police officers approached and shot him. He died of his wounds. In this case there were protests and certainly outrage voiced in those protests, but protestors came together as a community and held up signs for Tamir and his family instead of turning violent, and, police practiced restraint with protestors.

 

The artists chose these two events because they want to show that they believe peaceful protests are the path to make bigger and better impact.