A Show of Solidarity
Magnum Photos and Vogue Support the NAACP
Magnum Photos, a storied agency with a history dating back to 1947, is working with legendary fashion magazine Vogue to raise funds for the NAACP. Solidarity, a limited-time sale of six-inch square prints, features powerful photographs that emphasize the theme of solidarity in tumultuous times, including historic photos from the battle for Black civil rights in the 1960s and images from today’s continuation of that struggle. The NAACP is a vital voice for the rights of Black people across the country, and with the Black Lives Matter movement marching against racism and injustice, their advocacy has become even more vital. Magnum Photos and Vogue will be donating 50% of their proceeds to this cause.
The Selma March. Alabama, USA. 1965 © Bruce Davidson / Magnum Photos
“This photograph was taken during the 1965 protest marches from Selma to the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. Martin Luther King Jr. led a group of African-American, non-violent marchers to exercise their constitutional right to vote, in defiance of segregationist repression. This was a watershed moment in the US civil rights movement. I came across this young demonstrator, wrapped in a flag, protesting racism; behind him is Father Smith of San Antonio, a white catholic priest who protested against injustice for most of his life.”
Cup Foods, Minneapolis, Minnesota. USA. June 2, 2020 © Peter van Agtmael / Magnum Photos
“When I first arrived in Minneapolis, Cup Foods, where George Floyd was killed by police, was a place of silence and mourning. As the days continued, the feeling shifted. It was still a space for people to reflect on the horrific death, but it also became a place where people made art, served free food, collected goods for the needy, and even partied after months of confinement. A young woman, Ranay Barton, told me, “I came out here because I was angry. The first thing that ran through my mind was to be mad at white people. When things like this happen, you tend to segregate yourself. But seeing all the support and solidarity calmed me down: all these people are different colors, from different places, coming together for a purpose. I feel like the world should be like that.”
Training activists not to react to provocation. Civil strike, CORE group (Congress of Racial Equality). Petersburg, Virginia, USA. 1960 © Eve Arnold / Magnum Photos
“In Eve Arnold’s book, Flashback! The 50’s, she recalled the following:
‘CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) was representative of group cooperation between blacks and whites. They had set up training facilities throughout the South to teach resistance techniques that would open doors that white bigotry had closed… It was tough training. The next day, still in the church, Priscilla Washington was given a practical lesson in what might happen to her when she sat down at a white lunch counter. Fellow blacks trained for the work [and] acted out the parts of whites. Priscilla was called “biggity [n——-]” and “black bastard” and remarks like “What you want anyway? Haven’t we done enough for you?” were thrown at her, while her trainers pulled her hair and a man blew smoke in her face. She stood it stoically for two hours, trying to concentrate on the Bible she was reading.’
60 years on from this photo, the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and many others remind us there is much work still to be done.
The NAACP needs your support to campaign for vital policy reform.”
Tell Your Friends to Pull Up. New York City. 2020 © Richie Shazam / Vogue
“Through my artistic expression, I’ve learned about myself and was able to learn about others. My photography lets me tell stories, send but also transcend messages. My work connects me to who I am, where I come from, and most of all those around me. Pride is about celebrating our ability to stand up for ourselves. This year we are called upon to stand up and against the violence and hate thrust onto so many Black and brown bodies. Attending the Black Trans Lives Matter March in Brooklyn was a moving, historical moment.”
Solidarity, the Magnum’s Square Print Sale, in support of NAACP and in collaboration with Vogue, runs from Monday, July 27, 9AM EST to Sunday, August 2, 6PM EST 2020. Signed or estate-stamped, museum-quality, 6x6” prints from over 100 visual artists will exceptionally be available for $100, for 7 days only, from magnumphotos.com/shop.