SPRINGFIELD – A major new exhibit opening May 17 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum illuminates an often-overlooked protest against poverty and economic inequality that redefined social justice and activism in America.
In the 1960s, as the United States emerged as a global model of wealth and democracy, an estimated 25 million Americans lived in poverty. "Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign" tells the story of thousands of people who built and inhabited a 15-acre “city of hope” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for nearly six weeks to call attention to the crippling effects of poverty in America.
As a multiethnic movement that included African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, Asians and poor whites from Appalachia and rural communities, the protest attracted demonstrators nationwide. The campaign leaders presented demands to Congress, including demands for jobs, living wages and access to land, capital and health care. It was the first large-scale, nationally organized demonstration after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The protest site was called Resurrection City and included planned space for housing, a cultural center, city hall, a theater stage, essential services, and facilities for food and dining, sanitation, communications, education, medical and dental care, and childcare.
The “Solidarity Now” exhibition features a 3D map of Resurrection City, photographs, oral histories with campaign participants and organizers, and an array of protest signs, political buttons and audio field recordings collected during the campaign.
An aerial image of Resurrection City.
“We are proud to bring this important national tour to Illinois for the first time,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “Part of our mission is to inspire civic engagement and we look forward to seeing how this exhibit sparks conversations about human rights and economic equality.”
The exhibition opens May 17 and runs through August 18 in the museum’s Illinois Gallery and is free with regular museum admission.
"Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign" is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The exhibition is supported by the CVS Health Foundation, a private foundation created by CVS Health to help people live healthier lives.
About SITES and Smithsonian Affiliations
The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and Smithsonian Affiliations are critical national outreach units at the Smithsonian Institution. For more than 70 years, SITES has been connecting Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history. Smithsonian Affiliations establishes and maintains the Smithsonian’s long-term partnerships with museums, educational organizations, and cultural institutions in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Panama. Together, SITES and Affiliations share the Smithsonian's vast resources with millions of people outside Washington, D.C. Visit sites.si.edu and affiliations.si.edu for more information.
About the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., has welcomed more than 7 million visitors. The nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting, and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu and follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and sharing with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. We pursue this mission through a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship built on the bedrock of the ALPLM’s unparalleled collection of historical materials – roughly 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history.
You can follow the ALPLM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.