City of Hope Exhibit

 

The virtual “City of Hope” exhibit includes 18 posters of newly discovered photos, protest signs and political buttons from the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968 by the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. encouraged the impoverished to rise up and participate in a national demonstration by occupying the National Mall in Washington, D.C. during the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968. Around 3,000 people from around the country participated in the event.

The area where the Poor People’s Campaign took place was called Resurrection City. An architect designed basic tents and wooden structures for temporary housing for folks who lived at the National Mall from May 12-June 24, 1968.

The items in the “City of Hope” display showcase folks taking a stand for economic justice for all people.

The virtual exhibit also includes a tie-in panel discussion organized by Sharmaine Jackson, PhD, assistant professor of sociology at Stetson, titled “City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign” that was recorded via Zoom on Friday, Feb. 26.

The panel discussion guests include Andy Eisen, PhD, visiting assistant professor of history at Stetson; Shennette Garrett-Scott, PhD, associate professor of history and African American studies at The University of Mississippi; and Noelle Trent, PhD, director of interpretation, collections and education at the National Civil Rights Museum.