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Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A new exhibit debuting May 17 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum sheds light on a frequently overlooked protest against poverty and economic inequality, which reshaped the landscape of social justice and activism in America.
“Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign tells the story of those who built and inhabited a 15-acre “city of hope” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It’s where thousands camped out to call attention to the crippling effects of poverty in America. The “city of hope” was part of 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 took their demands to Congress, seeking jobs, living wages, and access to land, capital, and healthcare. This marked the first significant, nationally coordinated demonstration following the passing 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.
“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.