ExhibitionsPicture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books
Past Exhibition

Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books

August 15 – November 8, 2020

Picture the Dream is the first exhibition of its kind to delve into the events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement through the children’s picture book. Picture books are one of the most compelling forms of visual expression, and this exhibition showcases them as an effective bridge between art and storytelling, championing aspects of the movement that are both celebrated and forgotten.

The exhibition is guest curated by award-winning children’s book author Andrea Davis Pinkney and marks the High’s fifth collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Picture the Dream will be on view at the High from August 15 through November 8, 2020, and at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art from February 7 through May 30, 2021.

Banner Image Credit: PJ Loughran (American, born 1973), Headed for Montgomery, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March, 2015, written by Lynda Blackmon Lowery, india ink and acrylic with digital components. Collection of the artist.

Dedication
Picture the Dream is dedicated to the foot soldiers and beacons whose lights have taken flight. Your legacies lift us. Your inspiration empowers our steps. You are angels who guide the way.

The Lasting Legacy of Activism

A young boy with brown skin and short black hair wearing a green shirt looks at an image of a black lives matter protest.

Bryan Collier (American, born 1967), Untitled, All Because You Matter, 2020, written by Tami Charles, collage. Collection of the artist.

The year 2020 marks the anniversary of several key events from the civil rights movement. Sixty-five years ago, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Five years later, Ruby Bridges integrated her New Orleans elementary school, and four Black students catalyzed the sit-in movement at the segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The exhibition honors these bold actions and voices of the past while highlighting the importance of activism today, in a time when the fight for justice continues nationwide.

Through Picture the Dream, titles by beloved children’s book authors and artists as well as talented newcomers come together to encourage discussion and inspire young people to be tomorrow’s agents of transformation. The presentation will include more than eighty artworks, ranging from paintings and prints to collages and drawings, that evoke the power and continuing relevance of the era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today. The exhibition will emphasize children’s roles as activists and tell important stories about the movement’s icons, including Parks, Bridges, Congressman John Lewis, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Picture the Dream consists of three sections and a short film. The first section, “A Backward Path,” investigates life and conditions leading up to the crystallization of the definitive civil rights movement. The second, “The Rocks Are the Road,” focuses on key voices and events that shaped the movement. Finally, the third section, “Today’s Journey, Tomorrow’s Promise,” explores equality in the present day, looking at what has changed and what progress can still be made. Each segment strives to display how vibrant stories for children can unpack difficult dialogues around activism and race relations in the United States.

“At first I thought that Jim Crow was a big black crow that squawked whenever a black person tried to get a good seat.”

Raúl Colón
American, born 1952
“At first I thought that Jim Crow was a big black crow that squawked whenever a black person tried to get a good seat.”
Child of the Civil Rights Movement, 2010
Written by Paula Young Shelton
Wash, colored pencil, lithograph pencil, and graphite on watercolor paper
R. Michelson Galleries, Northampton, MassachusettsChildren were at the heart of the struggle for fairness. When the laws said Black people and White people had to be separated, some kids reached past these barriers to forge friendships. Children kept their eyes fixed on the horizon, even when Jim Crow peered down through stormy clouds.

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“Emmett Till’s name still catches in my throat . . .”

Philippe Lardy
Swiss, born 1963
“Emmett Till’s name still catches in my throat . . .”
A Wreath for Emmett Till, 2005
Written by Marilyn Nelson
Tempera on cardboard
Collection of the artistIn 1955, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till lost his life at the hands of hatred. Jim Crow, the bird that represented segregation, was at its most powerful. In Philippe Lardy’s haunting image, Emmett Till peers through a wreath of thorns and chains.

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“. . . there was no sadder sight on a hot summer day than black children outside a public swimming pool displaying a ‘For Whites Only’ sign.”

Faith Ringgold
American, born 1930
Left: “There were ‘eat-ins’ too, where black people and white sympathizers would sit at ‘For Whites Only’ lunch counters . . .”
Right: “. . . there was no sadder sight on a hot summer day than black children outside a public swimming pool displaying a ‘For Whites Only’ sign.”
If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks, 1999
Written by Faith Ringgold
Acrylic on canvas paper
Courtesy of ACA Galleries, New YorkFOR. WHITES. ONLY. Each word bore the weight of a beating rain attempting to stain progress. Nonviolent protesters took a stand at sit-ins and other demonstrations. They endured racism’s downpour forced onto their heads, but no one could drown their determination. At the same time, public swimming pools were known for keeping Black swimmers out. Faith Ringgold’s exaggerated colors convey the gross injustice so many faced. Green water, the color of envy, begs the question: Are those who must wait behind segregation’s gate jealous of the swimmers who get to cool off on a hot-as-blazes day? Or are the swimmers gasping, wishing they could breathe the untainted air of what’s fair?

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“Ruby said the prayer she repeated twice a day—”

George Ford
American, born 1926
“Ruby said the prayer she repeated twice a day—”
The Story of Ruby Bridges, 1995
Written by Robert Coles
Watercolor, acrylic ink, and ink on Strathmore illustration board
Collection of the artistOn November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges took a heroic step toward equality. She firmly planted her feet, gathered her courage, and proved that even a tiny child can stand tall. Ruby’s white dress and hair bow told the world she was as bright as any kid and deserved a good education, even when the hard shoes of prejudice stood nearby, threatening to stomp on her little girl grit.

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“Each took a seat at the Woolworth’s lunch counter . . .”

Brian Pinkney
American, born 1961
“Each took a seat at the Woolworth’s lunch counter . . .”
Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, 2010
Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Watercolor and India ink on Arches 300 lb rough paper
Collection of the artist

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“Upstairs . . . surrounded by rough drafts and scribbled notes on yellow legal pads . . .”

Jerry Pinkney
American, born 1939
“Upstairs . . . surrounded by rough drafts and scribbled notes on yellow legal pads . . .”
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation, 2019
Written by Barry Wittenstein
Graphite, colored pencil, watercolor, and collage on Arches watercolor paper
Collection of the artist

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“At night—a bare mattress with one thin sheet for a cover.”

Vanessa Brantley Newton
American, born 1963
“At night—a bare mattress with one thin sheet for a cover.”
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, 2017
Written by Cynthia Levinson
Digital collage
Collection of the artistNobody was safe from arrest for participating in marches and protests. Even children were sent to jail, made to sleep on the coils of inequality.

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“Lillian pushes that lever. Lillian votes.”

Shane W. Evans
American, dates unknown
“Lillian pushes that lever. Lillian votes.”
Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 2015
Written by Jonah Winter
Mixed media
Collection of the artistVoting is one way people use their power to bring about change. With the flick of a voting poll switch, or by plunging a ballot into equality’s box, Black citizens let their voices be heard. As these illustrations by Shane W. Evans and Nate Powell show, so much depended on showing up at the polls.

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Coretta Scott

Kadir Nelson
American, born 1974
Cover illustration
Coretta Scott, 2009
Written by Ntozake Shange
Oil on wood panel
Collection of the artistAfter his death, King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, carried on her husband’s legacy. Caldecott winner Kadir Nelson’s powerful portrait shows that Coretta always looked ahead, focusing on the hope of a better tomorrow.

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“‘We aren’t in the museum,’ Milo said quietly. ‘I want to know why.’”

Purple Wong
Hong Kong citizen, dates unknown
“‘We aren’t in the museum,’ Milo said quietly. ‘I want to know why.’”
Milo’s Museum, 2016
Written by Zetta Elliott
Born-digital art
Courtesy of Zetta ElliottMommies, daddies, grandparents—they have lived it, experienced it so that kids today can feel the dream. In an intriguing look at a modern elder, the Black Lives Matter T-shirt shows that no matter how old you are, the quest for equality never ends.

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“Assemble. Take action. Create allies.”

Jared Andrew Schorr
American, born 1982
“Assemble. Take action. Create allies.”
Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights, 2018
Written by Rob Sanders
Cut-paper collage
Collection of the artistCall it a parade or a crusade. No matter the name, we rise. We resist. We shine. Jared Andrew Schorr’s collage pays homage to the past by connecting the peace sign of the 1960s with the solid two-line equal sign of today. Even the doggy is ready to lead the way!

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“And tomorrow YOUR NATION . . . will be what you want it to be.”

Bryan Collier
American, born 1967
“And tomorrow YOUR NATION . . . will be what you want it to be.”
Hey Black Child, 2017
Written by Useni Eugene Perkins
Watercolor and collage on Arches watercolor paper
Collection of the artistBryan Collier’s powerful, expansive collage lets us peer into the faces of the future. A child’s raised hand demands our attention: I am here!

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“But some things were getting better.”

AG Ford
American, born 1985
“But some things were getting better.”
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 2013
Written by Martin Luther King III
Acrylic and oil on illustration board
Collection of the artistAlthough Martin Luther King Jr. was a famous civil rights leader, he was also a loving father and husband who enjoyed spending time with his family. He and his wife, Coretta, had four children: Martin III, Yolanda, Dexter, and Bernice. Dinnertime meant good food, great conversations, and plenty of laughter.

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“My mama says I shouldn’t go on the other side . . .”

Earl Bradley (E. B.) Lewis
American, born 1956
“My mama says I shouldn’t go on the other side . . .”
The Other Side, 2001
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Watercolor
Collection of Harriet and Michael A. Seidman

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“. . . he hadn’t come this far to turn back or soften his message . . .”

Leonard Jenkins
American, dates unknown
“. . . he hadn’t come this far to turn back or soften his message . . .”
Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly, 2000
Written by Walter Dean Myers
Acrylic, pastel, and spray paint layered on museum board
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MassachusettsMalcolm X believed that justice was to be achieved by any means necessary. In this stirring depiction, the word “SPEAKS” underscores the power of his eloquence.

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“. . . Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine knew one thing: with hard work, perseverance, and a love of math, anything was possible.”

Laura Freeman
American, born 1959
“. . . Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine knew one thing: with hard work, perseverance, and a love of math, anything was possible.”
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, 2018
Written by Margot Lee Shetterly
Born-digital art
Collection of the artist

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As you witness the power conveyed through the art of picture books, you’ll be brought to a place of revelation. Here, we stand on firm ground. Here, we can rejoice in the legacy of social justice, a heritage built by the everyday heroes who came before and by the steadfast individuals who continue to carry equality’s message. Here is a dream worth following.

Andrea Davis Pinkney

Meet Our Guest Curator

Andrea Davis Pinkney headshot.
Andrea Davis Pinkney is an editor for Scholastic in New York City, where she and husband, illustrator and collaborator Brian Pinkney, live with their family.

Pinkney is a New York Times-best-selling and Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning favorite figure of children’s literature. She has penned four of the books featured in Picture the Dream and has a new title, Loretta Little Looks Back, set to debut this fall.
She also loaned her creative voice to the exhibition labels and text, which she wrote to guide visitors through the galleries in the same way a narrator guides readers through a story.

Film and Animated Play

The short documentary film that will be within the galleries is an opportunity to expand on the stories behind the works of art. Through a series of compelling interviews with authors, illustrators, and activists, viewers will gain a more comprehensive idea of the voices within the movement as well as the artists who visualize history into the pages of treasured books.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Alliance Theatre at The Woodruff Arts Center, of which the High is also an arts partner, will present an animated edition of the world-premiere play Sit-In (October 2020) based on Andrea Pinkney’s book Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down. The play is written by lauded author and playwright Pearl Cleage and features music by Eugene Russell IV. Visit www.alliancetheatre.org for details.

 

 

Continue the Conversation

Picture the Dream is an open invitation to start important discussions with children, friends, and family. Take a look at a list of all the books in the show and our family discussion guide, or make the conversation virtual! Complete any of these sentences that inspire you in a post on your favorite social media channel with the hashtag #highmuseumofart.

Civil Rights Are . . .
Activism is . . .
Equality is . . .
Fairness is . . .
Demonstrating is . . .
Freedom is . . .
Peace is . . .
Harmony is . . .

 

Press

Atlanta Journal Constitution | “High Museum exhibits children’s books on civil rights”
WABE | “The High’s New Exhibit ‘Picture The Dream’ Showcases Civil Rights Movement Through Children’s Books”
Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta | “Exhibit presents unique ‘picture’ of civil rights movement”
Traveling Mom | “44 Ways to Teach Kids about Civil Rights, Both Virtual and Real”
artnet | “25 Shows to See Across the US as Museums Reopen, From Jacob Lawrence’s Genius at the Met to an Epic Mexican Masterpiece in Dallas”

Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books is co-organized by the High Museum of Art and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Major funding for this exhibition is provided by
This exhibition is made possible by

Major Funding

Premier Exhibition Series Sponsors

Exhibition Series Sponsor

Premier Exhibition Series Supporters

The Antinori Foundation
Sarah and Jim Kennedy
Louise Sams and Jerome Grilhot

Benefactor Exhibition Series Supporters

Anne Cox Chambers Foundation
Robin and Hilton Howell

Ambassador Exhibition Supporter

Rod Westmoreland

Contributing Exhibition Series Supporters

Lucinda W. Bunnen
Marcia and John Donnell
W. Daniel Ebersole and Sarah Eby-Ebersole
Peggy Foreman
Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Jones
Joel Knox and Joan Marmo
Margot and Danny McCaul
The Ron and Lisa Brill Family Charitable Trust

Additional support is provided by 2020 Grandparents Circle of Support members

Spring and Tom Asher, Anne Cox Chambers, Ann and Tom Cousins, Sandra and John Glover, Shearon and Taylor Glover, Sarah and Jim Kennedy, Jane and Hicks Lanier, and by Lavona Currie, Nena Griffith, Ellen and Tom Harbin, and Margaretta Taylor

Generous support is also provided by

Alfred and Adele Davis Exhibition Endowment Fund, Anne Cox Chambers Exhibition Fund, Barbara Stewart Exhibition Fund, Dorothy Smith Hopkins Exhibition Endowment Fund, Eleanor McDonald Storza Exhibition Endowment Fund, The Fay and Barrett Howell Exhibition Fund, Forward Arts Foundation Exhibition Endowment Fund, Helen S. Lanier Endowment Fund, Isobel Anne Fraser–Nancy Fraser Parker Exhibition Endowment Fund, John H. and Wilhelmina D. Harland Exhibition Endowment Fund, Katherine Murphy Riley Special Exhibition Endowment Fund, Margaretta Taylor Exhibition Fund, and the RJR Nabisco Exhibition Endowment Fund.