Plate from Letter from Birmingham City Jail
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View on museum website →Medium
screenprint from an illustrated book with eight screenprints
Dimensions
overall (closed): 39.8 × 33.2 × 4.9 cm (15 11/16 × 13 1/16 × 1 15/16 in.)
Classification
Volume
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Fine in honor of Michele Wallace
Accession Number
2021.80.27.7
Art Historical Context
In 2007, renowned African American artist Faith Ringgold created a series of eight screenprints illustrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail a powerful 1963 manifesto defending nonviolent civil resistance against racial injustice. This plate, part of that illustrated book, captures Ringgold's signature blend of bold storytelling and social commentary, transforming King's words—written while imprisoned for protesting segregation—into vivid visual narrative. Ringgold, celebrated for her innovative story quilts that weave personal and political histories, here adapts her appro...