Merry Khristmas & Philadelphia, Billy Morrow Jackson,Civil Rights Political 1964

Description

These posters make me sad, but wer cannot forget the past...we do need to move forward...these posters deserve to be properly displayed in a special spot. The 1960's were turbulent times. Civil Rights Movements were a major turning point in our history.
I borrowed and copied the following discription form "Kneal" magizine August 2018 for your history lesson.
Merry Kristmas and Philadelphia
Civil rights suppression was always accompanied by violence. The Tools employed in that violence are prominently displayed in
“Merry Kristmas and Philadelphia”
. Violence usually begins with threats and intimidation. There are crosses and confederate flags. The crosses were
“Lit”
and placed in people’s yards or other very prominent places to intimidate the public and telegraph that even more drastic action would follow. The confederate flags symbolized the continued commitment to white supremacy.
There are gas canisters and bellows that indicate that burning and acts of arson were also frequently employed to kill and destroy the property of blacks and anyone deemed sympathetic to their cause.
In Santa’s
“goodie”
bag there are nooses, chains, hardhats, and guns. In the bottom of this frame there is a sheriff’s badge that allowed all this nefarious activity to be committed under the cover of
“law”
.
The Klansman has a Sawn-off shotgun and an ammo belt as well as a policeman’s billy club. On his shoulder he has a
“dragon”
with the head of a man and the body of a reptile.
For intimidation and enforcement purposes, the Klansman is accompanied by his wolf/dog. In this instance, the animal is standing guard over the ballot box. This also recalls that dogs were
“sicced”
on the demonstrators, who were attempting to register to vote.
The bottom right depicts a church with its entrance filled with sticks of dynamite.
The Klansman has his feet pointing in the wrong direction. This suggests that he is going backwards.
The child suggests that these attitudes and tendencies are acquired early in life and continued well into adulthood.
Nooses are prominent throughout the portfolio as they represent a culture of lynching which is itself a shorthand expression for extrajudicial killing (murder).
Merry Kristmas and Philadelphia is part of a series of 8 posters on the Civil Rights Movement by Billy Morrow Jackson.
Attached is and article about the artist.
I have the entire series in the original tube .
The poster has been stored in a tube, dated Nov16,1965 mailed to St Louis FOSNCC. (St Louis Friends of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)