On this day, 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where

On this day, 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had traveled to support African American city sanitation workers on strike. A key leader of the Civil Rights Movement, his murder heightened the pervasive disillusionment Black Americans felt with American politics and the ability for social progress achieved through exclusively judicial means. It would become a galvanizing event in the growing Black Power movement, the goals of which were the complete liberation of and self-determination for black people across the globe. Artist Sam Gilliam made this painting, titled after the fatal date, in the year following Dr. King’s assassination. Gilliam had begun staining his paintings in the mid-1960s, often with rich, vibrant paint colors including various reds. In this particular context, however, the splotches of that color carry particularly violent evocations. See this powerful work in our upcoming exhibition, Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power—opening September 14.Where Do We Go from Here? We’re partnering with @penamerican on April 20 to respond to this ever-urgent question and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s indelible legacy. Click here for details and tickets.Posted by Ashley JamesSam Gilliam. April 4, 1969. Acrylic on canvas, 110 x 179 ¾ in. (279.4 x 456.6 cm). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.. Courtesy of the artist and David Kordansky Gallery, CA. -- source link

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