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Posters tell the message of ‘Black Leaders’ Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
A poster exhibition titled “Black Leaders” that just opened at the Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 West Lynde St., Gardner, conveys both immediacy and history. Posters are often used by leaders or movements to win support of people for a cause. “A lot of the political ones frequently have quotes on the posters trying to educate and arouse people to the issues going on like racism,” said Stephen Lewis, who is putting on the “Black Leaders” exhibition from his own collection of over 9,700 labor and politically progressive posters. Lewis, who lives in the Boston area, has an extensive union background.
Frederick Douglass appears in a poster. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
A powerful exhibition poster from Lewis’ viewpoint has great “graphic art, historical documentation and a message,” he said. The messages still ring true,
even though the posters may be from 50, 60 or more years ago. “It could be timely at any time, but given the the events of the past two years it’s a great time to have the exhibition up,” Lewis said of “Black Leaders.” “Black Leaders” was opened July 6 and runs through July 27. “This exhibit is a tribute to black leaders who rose to prominence and/or leadership positions, often in spite of discrimination, repression, and state sponsored disinformation campaigns,” Lewis writes about the exhibition. “Some were assassinated because of their work on behalf of others. Space does not allow for de-
tailed descriptions of their lives, but interested people are encouraged to read books that have been published about many of them, or to view fi lms that were produced about some of them.” In an interview prior to the exhibition’s opening, Lewis hadn’t fi nally decided which of the 35 to 40 posters he would be putting on display, but “Black Leaders” was expected to include well-known fi gures such as Frederick Douglass, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Paul Robeson and Angela Davis. Also, there will be some people who many may be less familiar,
such as Maurice Bishop, Carl Hampton, Fela Kuti, Wangari Maathai and A. Philip Randolph. Posters can take a historical fi gure and reprise their message to great eff ect. For example, a poster of Frederick Douglass implores, “if there is no progress, there is no struggle.” Lewis recalled he had left some information at a previous “Black Leaders” exhibition and received an email from a woman praising what she had seen. She told Lewis that she was from Saint Kitts and didn’t know who some of the leaders See LEADERS, Page 11
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Stephen Lewis is presenting a poster exhibition titled “Black Leaders” at the Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 W. Lynde St., Gardner.
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