In 1968 during the Sanitation Workers Strike in Memphis a group of disenfranchised African American workers who had been working under dehumanizing conditions created the iconic I AM A MAN placard as a symbol of their fight for the same economic, safety and labor union standards as their white counterparts. After a painful and protracted battle with the city, which included the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., their protests and voices lead to union recognition and wage increases. The period was a turning point for Black activism and union activity in Memphis
More than 50 years later individual rights continue to be suppressed in the form of voter disenfranchisement. Certain communities are particularly susceptible to suppression and in some cases, outright targeted — people of color, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Suppression efforts range from the seemingly unobstructive, like voter ID laws and cuts to early voting, to mass purges of voter rolls and systemic disenfranchisement.
Voting should be as easy and convenient as possible, and in many cases it is. But across the U.S., too many politicians are passing measures making it harder to cast a ballot. This Tshirt was created with the message that every individual is equal to a vote. This clear and iconic message has resonated as an image of the continued battle for equal rights. What began as the slogan for a labor strike became a national emblem in the ongoing quest for racial equality. In its time, “I Am A Man” was an expression of agency that registered with multiple audiences. It lives on as a self-proclamation that tells an unassailable truth. Its presence in contemporary life is evidence of a dual inheritance: one in which structural racism unfortunately persists and one in which commitment to dismantling those structures must be continually renewed.
By purchasing a T-shirt you will be putting a contribution towards organizations fighting to protect and restore individual voter rights. 100% of the proceeds from your purchase will support these organizations: @blackvotersmtr@anewwayoflifela@naacp_ldf
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