(CLEVELAND, OHIO) This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement, a powerful look at efforts to effect positive change in the face of racial, social and economic imbalance in America on display at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage (2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH 44122; 216.593.0575; maltzmuseum.org) closes on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14, 2017. To celebrate mothers and commemorate the exhibition’s final day, moms will receive free admission to the Museum and This Light of Ours during normal hours of operation, 11am -5pm.
The 4,000-square-foot exhibition features videos, immersive 3-D elements and more than 150 black-and-white images that capture the determination of everyday men and women fighting for equality in the 1960s. Among them were these three inspiring women:
- As members of Mississippi’s Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and founding members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, the late Fannie Lou Hamer and Victoria Gray were instrumental in the state’s 1964 Freedom Summer voter registration drive.
- June Finer was a healthcare equality advocate who joined the Medical Committee for Human Rights, first as part of Freedom Summer and then as the group’s southern coordinator, dispatching medical volunteers to provide care at protests and to document injuries. She later worked at the Women’s House of Detention at Rikers Island.
- Coretta Scott King, the late wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., was a tireless advocate for civil rights who participated in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott; helped pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act; and was the founder of Atlanta’s Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
“Not only did these three activists work tirelessly to abolish institutionalized discrimination and propel long-existing inequities into the national consciousness, but they also served as role models for legions of young women,” asserts Maltz Museum executive director Ellen Rudolph. “They wanted to provide a better, more equitable life for their children and for generations to come.”
Since This Light of Ours opened in September 2016, more than 25,000 people have visited the exhibit, a testament to the timeliness of its message. “We’ve added videos, interactive features and material about present-day racial division to the presentation of these more than 50-year-old photographs,” asserts Rudolph. “Most visitors—including children—are struck by how familiar some of these historic images seem in light of shootings, riots, vigils and protests that have rocked the country in recent months.”
Recognizing racial divisions weren’t relegated to the South, the Maltz Museum also included content on Northeast Ohio’s own turmoil and triumphs at this critical moment in American history. “During this same decade Cleveland experienced the Hough uprising of 1966 and the long struggle to desegregate Cleveland’s public schools,” notes the Museum’s education director, Jeffery Allen. “The region also witnessed the 1967 election of Carl Stokes as the first black mayor of a major American city and the groundbreaking role played by his brother, Louis, in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement features photographers Bob Adelman, George Ballis, Bob Fitch, Bob Fletcher, Matt Herron, David Prince, Herbert Randall, Maria Varela and Tamio Wakayama. The exhibition is organized by the Center for Documentary Expression and Art (Curator: Matt Herron; Historical Consultant: Charlie Cobb Jr.; Project Originators: Leslie Kelen and Steven Kasher) with major support provided by the Bruce W. Bastian Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The films, design and exhibition experience were conceived and produced by the Maltz Museum.
This Light of Ours is generously sponsored by Cleveland Browns Foundation; Cleveland Foundation; Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Humanities Center at Cuyahoga Community College; Cleveland State University; Milton and Tamar Maltz; PNC Bank; and The Treu-Mart Fund. Additional sponsorship for the Cleveland installation is provided by Stanley Blum; Ruth G. and Sam H. Sampliner Fund of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; Catholic Diocese of Cleveland; Cleveland Clinic; Forest City Enterprises; Jewish Federation of Cleveland; Alan and Karen Krause; Audrey and Albert B. Ratner; David Reynolds, Key Private Bank; RPM, Inc.; Barbara S. Robinson; Schwebel Baking Co.; and Dan and Ellen Zelman.
Additional support comes from ADL Cleveland; Barry Feldman; Stewart and Donna Kohl; Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein and Barry Goloboff; Malik Law; Melamed Communications; Anne L. Meyers—Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis; Abe and Barb Miller; The Nathan and Fannye Shafran Foundation; Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland; and Donna Yanowitz.
For information, directions and related programming, call 216.593.0575, or visit maltzmuseum.org.
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THIS LIGHT OF OURS: ACTIVIST PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (Now – May 14, 2017) In the 1960s, ordinary people risked everything to fight for equality. Featuring videos, interactives and 150+ black-and-white Civil Rights-era photographs, This Light of Ours offers a stirring look at inequities and tensions past and present, challenging visitors to play a role in effecting positive change. The Maltz Museum is proud to be a partner in the year-long, community-wide commemoration being planned for the 50th anniversary of Carl Stokes’ 1967 election as mayor of Cleveland—the first African-American mayor of a major American city. Mayor Stokes and his brother, Congressman Louis Stokes, made a profound impact on the civil rights movement. For details on the celebration, visit stokes50cle.com. To learn more about the exhibition, visit maltzmuseum.org.
ADMISSION: This Light of Ours is included with Maltz Museum admission: $12 adults, $10 seniors (60+) and students, $5 youth (5-11) and FREE for Maltz Museum Members and children under 5. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for guided tours and a discount with advance registration.
EXHIBITION/MUSEUM HOURS: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am -5pm, Wednesday, 11am-9pm. The Museum is closed Mondays. (Note: The Museum recently changed its Saturday hours to open at 11am.)
MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE celebrates culture and identity to encourage connection and promote a greater appreciation of Jewish heritage and the diversity of the human experience. Personal stories of struggle, courage and creativity are brought to life through interactive exhibitions and thought-provoking programs generously supported by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Ohio Arts Council. For more information, visit maltzmuseum.org and follow us on Twitter @maltzmuseum and @stopthehateUS.
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