Art for the 20th Annual Rev. Dr. Martian Luther King Jr. Youth Rally & March
Schoo Middle School 8th graders were given the amazing opportunity to create a series of portraits for the 20th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Rally and March. This project, entitled "Portraits of a Movement" has empowered our students, giving them the opportunity to be commissioned artists. Students researched and selected their civil rights figure in groups of 2-5.Each group selected an image and digitally manipulated their portrait. Boards (24"x32") were made from scratch, covered in newspaper and hand painted by over 90 8th grade art students. All first semester, 8th grade art students of the 2014-15 school year participated in the project. The pieces will be displayed at LPSDO, local libraries and businesses, and at the State Capitol on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (2015) The art will return to Schoo in March for a culminating celebration before being distributed to buyers. Art project auction:
Lincoln, NE 68528 |
PHOTOS OF THE PROCESS |
Malcolm X #ByAnyMeansNecessary Artists: Matthew Nguyen, Abiel Sabio, Dehrick Jackson, Phillip Kay, Samuel Mfinanga Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was a prominent Black Nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and ‘60s. Due largely to his efforts, the Nation of Islam grew from a mere 400 members at the time he was released from prison in 1952 to 40,000 members by 1960. Articulate, passionate and a naturally gifted and inspirational orator, Malcolm X exhorted blacks to cast off the shackles of racism “by any means necessary,” including violence. The fiery civil rights leader broke with the group shortly before his assassination, February 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, where he had been preparing to deliver a speech. Ruby Bridges #RubyStrong Artists: Emily Wolfe and Madison Hurst In November 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges Hall became the first African American child to desegregate an elementary school. Although she only lived a few blocks from the William Frantz Elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Marshals had to escort Ruby because of angry segregationist mobs that gathered in front of the school. For an entire year, she was the only student in her class since white parents pulled their children from the school in protest. Emmett Till #NeverAgain Artists: Cerissa Lozano, Nikki Klosterman, Mac Morse The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till on August 28, 1955, galvanized the emerging Civil Rights Movement. Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till, who went by the nickname Bobo was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, on August 24, 1955, when he reportedly flirted with a white cashier at a grocery store. Four days later, two white men kidnapped Till, beat him and shot him in the head. The men were tried for murder, but an all-white, male jury acquitted them. Till’s murder and open casket funeral galvanized the emerging Civil Rights Movement. Claudette Colvin
#TheFirst Artists: Macy Nemeth, Adong Akot, Julia Ovalle, Jasmine Terrazas, Kaley Love “I knew then and I know now that, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, ‘This is not right.’” —Claudette Colvin Claudette Colvin was a civil rights activist in Alabama during the 1950s. At age 15 she refused to give up her seat on a bus months before Rosa Parks’ more famous protest. She also served as a plaintiff in the landmark legal case Browder v. Gayle, which helped end the practice of segregation on Montgomery public buses. Growing up in one of Montgomery’s poorer neighborhoods, Colvin studied hard at school. She earned mostly As in her classes and even aspired to become president one day Nelson Mandela
#ImpossibleisPossible Artists: Lindsey Siemering, Jordan Love and Kendall Walker The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. after retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999. A symbol of global peacemaking, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013, at age 95. Josh Gibson #amazing#baseballplayer Artists: Tariq Goode, Tyler Thomas, Marissa Stratton Was the myth larger than the reality? Not really. However, the applause Josh Gibson received should have been louder. He was considered the best power hitter of his era in the Negro baseball leagues and perhaps even the majors. Often referred to as the “black Babe Ruth” during his career, Gibson was as much a force in Negro League baseball as the Bambino was in the major leagues. For 17 seasons Gibson treated Negro League fans to an ongoing power-hitting exhibition, compiling more than 900 career homeruns. With the exception of 6 seasons behind the plate with the legendary Pittsburgh Crawfords teams of the mid- 1930s, Gibson spent his entire career (1929-1946) with the Homestead Grays. During the late 1930s and early 1940s Gibson’s bat powered the Grays to an unprecedented 9 consecutive Negro National League championships. No player was more revered by Negro League fans than Gibson. He appeared in nine East-West All-Star games, and his 84 homeruns (hit against varied levels of competition) in 1936 is a feat often discussed in baseball circles today. In 1972 Gibson followed Satchel Paige as the Negro Leagues’ second alumnus to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall Of Fame. Maya Angelou
#StilliRise Artists: Laura Maya, Natalie Delaine Maya Angelou is a poet, award-winning author and civil rights activist. Maya Angelou is known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. In 1971, Angelou published the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poetry collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Die. She later wrote the poem “On the Pulse of Morning”— one of her most famous works—which she recited at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. Angelou received several honors throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. She died on May 28, 2014. Tuskegee Airmen
#RedTails Artists: Correy Poore When World War II began in 1939, African Americans were no strangers to military service. For hundreds of years blacks had risked their lives in conflicts such as the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War. In 1941, African Americans seized the opportunity to exhibit their patriotism in a new way: They trained at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama to become the first blacks in the military to fly and manage aircraft. Before this groundbreaking shift, skilled training remained off limits to African Americans because military personnel doubted blacks had the intelligence and talent to excel in leadership roles. Prior to the 1940s, the military actually banned blacks from serving as pilots. The Tuskegee Airmen proved that African Americans were just as capable as any other group of taking on complex missions and succeeding. The achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen are numerous. The Airmen boasted one of the lowest loss records in escorting bombers, according to Tuskegee University. Moreover, the 99th Squadron received Presidential Unit Citations in 1943 and 1944 for tactical air support and aerial combat. By the time World War II ended, the Airmen had flown 1,578 missions and 15,533 sorties. To boot, they destroyed 261 enemy aircraft, and won more than 850 medals. Senator JoAnne Maxey
#EducationFirst Artists: Cortlyn Siers, Gracie Smith, Vanessa Rodriguez and Janet Balderas Sanchez JoAnn Maxey was known as an advocate for the young and disadvantaged. Maxey served as a state senator from 1977-1979, representing the 46th district in Lincoln. She was the first female African American to serve as a state senator. Maxey also was the first black elected to the Lincoln Board of Education. During her two terms, she pioneered programs in special education, outreach for dropouts and at-risk students, broader vocational activities and expansion of girls’ sports opportunities. Prior to holding political office, Maxey helped organize clubs for black teenagers and a community group that encouraged public schools to reflect diverse cultural backgrounds in textbooks and in classroom lessons. After her death, Lincoln’s Malone Community Center named its senior center after her. Maxey headed the center’s senior citizen program and worked to enable low-income seniors to take advantage of its offerings. A Lincoln elementary school also was named in her honor. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
– Birmingham Jail #InjusticeanywherethreatojusticeEverywhere Artists: Damon Keck, Collin Cummings and Jaden Horton, Syncere Lewis In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and sent to jail because he and others were protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. A court had ordered that King could not hold protests in Birmingham. Birmingham in 1963 was a hard place for blacks to live in. Everything was segregated, from businesses to churches to libraries. Blacks faced constant discrimination and the constant threat of violence. Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally and March
#YouthAction Artist: Jaden Ferguson In 1993, a group of adults and youth were called together by the late Dr. Leola Bullock. The group’s task was to present the dreams of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the City of Lincoln. On January 17, 1994 the program the group developed was shared with the community. Those in attendees were welcomed by Lincoln Southeast scholar Sara Bartek on the steps of the City/County building before beginning their march to the State Capitol. Upon arriving at the Capitol, there was a multicultural student panel as well as a moving reading by Lincoln High student Yohance Christie of the “I Have a Dream!” speech. With the exception of advising and sponsorship, all aspects of the experience is planned and facilitated by youth. All components are intentional and celebrate the legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through inspiration, education and entertainment. The mission of the youth rally and march is promotion the life and dreams of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through positive youth action in the community! |
Dr. Leola Bullock
#StandUp@SpeakOut Artists: Jaden Ferguson and Sierra Mizell Leola Bullock was a powerful and enduring force for human rights in Lincoln. Her legacy is everywhere in the Capital City, from the workplace to the classroom to the government. She was the founder of the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally and March. In the 1970s, a group she founded, the Association of Black Citizens, was instrumental in the establishment of the Lincoln Police Review Board. The new board gave minority residents and others a place to lodge complaints about police misconduct -- and the assurance they would not be ignored. Hugh Bullock served as a member. One of her long-time passions was education. She fought for non-whites to be more accurately portrayed in public history textbooks. She worked for equal education for all children, and education that helped all races grow up and live in a multicultural world. Thanks to Bullock and many others, there have been major societal changes for the better. But as the community notes Bullock’s considerable accomplishments during a remarkable life, it’s important to remember that even at age 81, she still was working to eliminate social injustice. President Barack Obama #BetheFirst Artists: Camila Pedroza, Gracie Fry, Azaiya Trainor and Kambree Rhodes Barack Obama is the 44th and current president of the United States, and the first African American to serve as U.S. president. First elected to the presidency in 2008, he won a second term in 2012. He was a civil-rights lawyer and teacher before pursuing a political career. He was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996, serving from 1997 to 2004. He was elected to the U.S. presidency in 2008, and won re-election in 2012 against Republican challenger Mitt Romney. President Obama continues to enact policy changes in response to the issues of health care and economic crisis. Jackie Robinson #jackie42robinson Artists: Miles Aubuchon, Jon Gruber, Ryan Pate,Tyler Le and Parker Menne Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke baseball’s color barrier to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. A talented player, Robinson won the National League Rookie of the Year award his first season, and helped the Dodgers to the National League championship – the first of his six trips to the World Series. In 1949 Robinson won the league MVP award, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Despite his skill, Robinson faced a barrage of insults and threats because of his race. The courage and grace with which Robinson handled the abuses inspired a generation of African Americans to question the doctrine of “separate but equal” and helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Mahalia Jackson
#TellthemabouttheDream Artists: Alexys Clark, Katie Chernyy, Kylie Probst, and Sadie Lewis Born on October 26, 1911, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mahalia Jackson started singing as a child at Mount Moriah Baptist Church and went on to become one of the most revered gospel figures in the U.S. Her recording of “Move On Up a Little Higher” was a major hit and she subsequently became an international figure for music lovers from a variety of backgrounds. She worked with artists like Duke Ellington and Thomas A. Dorsey and also sang at the 1963 March on Washington at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She died on January 27, 1972. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
#IHaveaDream Artists: Ashton Rittenhouse, Payton Rezac, Jordan Humphrey Jonathan Le, Aldin Hurko and Zach Bernt Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech, “I Have a Dream.” Denise McNair
#LittleRockNine Artists: MaryClaire Haug, Marianna Gibilisco, Anna Corns Denise McNair was an 11-year-old African-American girl whose 1963 murder focused public attention on racial violence in the South. McNair and three other African-American girls were killed in a terrorist attack on the 16th Street Church four young girls (14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair) were found beneath the rubble in a basement restroom. Ten-year-old Sarah Collins, who was also in the restroom at the time of the explosion, lost her right eye, and more than 20 other people were injured in the blast. The bombing—perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan—marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Even though the legal system was slow to provide justice, the effect of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church was immediate and significant. Outrage over the death of the four innocent girls helped build increased support behind the continuing struggle to end segregation–support that would help lead to the passage of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Congressmen John Lewis #SNCC Artists: Jesse Pollard, Tyree Knapp, Dalton Dietrich and Chase Everett One of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, John Lewis has continued to fight for people’s rights since joining Congress in 1987. John Lewis grew up in an era of segregation. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., he joined the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. Lewis was a Freedom Rider, spoke at 1963’s March on Washington and led the demonstration that became known as “Bloody Sunday.” He was elected to Congress in 1986 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. In 1963, Lewis became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. That same year, as one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, he helped plan the March on Washington. Lewis—the youngest speaker at the event—had to alter his speech in order to please other organizers. Honorable Sonya Sotomayor
#PleaseRise Artists: Keyara Lee, Jillian Gillispie Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in US history. Sonia Sotomayor was born June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York. She graduated from Yale Law School and passed the bar in 1980. She became a U.S. District Court Judge in 1992 and was elevated to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1998. In 2009, she became the first Latina Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history. Sotomayor’s first leanings toward the justice system began after watching an episode of the television show Perry Mason. After a prosecutor on the program said he did not mind losing when a defendant turned out to be innocent, Sotomayor said she “made the quantum leap: If that was the prosecutor’s job, then the guy who made the decision to dismiss the case was the judge. That was what I was going to be.” Muhammad Ali
#boxinglybeMA Artists: Antonio Botti, Brandon Langomas, Grant Dvorak Muhammad Ali (1942-) is an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career. Ali’s outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics made him a controversial figure during his career, and the heavyweight’s quips and taunts were as quick as his fists. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. Parkinson’s syndrome has severely impaired Ali’s motor skills and speech, but he remains active as a humanitarian and goodwill ambassador. Rosa Parks
#SitDown Artists: Cameron Douglas, TJ Mandachit and Blayne Rezac Parks is famous for her refusal on December 1, 1955 to obey bus driver James Blake’s demand that she relinquish her seat to a white man. Her subsequent arrest and trial for this act of civil disobedience triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the largest and most successful mass movements against racial segregation in history, and launched Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the organizers of the boycott, to the forefront of the civil rights movement. Her role in American history earned her an iconic status in American culture, and her actions have left an enduring legacy for civil rights movements around the world. Daisy Bates
#FightforourRights Artists: Curran Ryan, Kayla Wise, Zeke Williams, Max Pearson, Taylor Hainstock In 1957, Daisy Bates became a household name when she fought for the right of nine black students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bates’s public support culminated in a constitutional crisis — pitting a president against a governor and a community against itself. As head of the Arkansas NAACP, and protector of the nine students, Daisy Bates would achieve instant fame as the drama played out on national television and in newspapers around the world. But that fame would prove fleeting and for her attempts to remain relevant, she would pay a hefty price. |
IN THE NEWS!
20th annual MLK Jr. Youth Rally and March
Jan. 19. Pre-rally community celebration, 8 a.m. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln student union, 14th and R streets; march from union to Capitol, 9:45 a.m.; Call to Action program at Capitol, 10:30 a.m.
Art project displays
* Selected pieces at LPS district office, 5905 O St., throughout January.
* Jan. 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., state Capitol rotunda during the MLK state celebration.
* Jan. 19, 8-9:45 a.m., pre-rally celebration, ballroom in the UNL student union, 14th and R streets.
* Jan. 29, 5:30-6:45 p.m., project informational session, LPS board room at district offices.
* Feb. 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Lincoln City Library Eisley branch, 1530 Superior St., as part of African-American Read-In series
Art project auction: Feb. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Firefighters Hall: 215 Victory Lane, Lincoln, NE
Jan. 19. Pre-rally community celebration, 8 a.m. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln student union, 14th and R streets; march from union to Capitol, 9:45 a.m.; Call to Action program at Capitol, 10:30 a.m.
Art project displays
* Selected pieces at LPS district office, 5905 O St., throughout January.
* Jan. 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., state Capitol rotunda during the MLK state celebration.
* Jan. 19, 8-9:45 a.m., pre-rally celebration, ballroom in the UNL student union, 14th and R streets.
* Jan. 29, 5:30-6:45 p.m., project informational session, LPS board room at district offices.
* Feb. 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Lincoln City Library Eisley branch, 1530 Superior St., as part of African-American Read-In series
Art project auction: Feb. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Firefighters Hall: 215 Victory Lane, Lincoln, NE