On Tuesday, Aug. 24, Martin Luther King III, his wife Andrea, and daughter Yolanda King all gathered on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta to use their “#GiveUsTheBallot” campaign to discuss the importance of Black women’s voices, photography and artwork in the movement of both modern and historical civil rights.
Martin III spoke saying, “I think about the fact that Auburn Avenue is the street where my father was born, where my father preached, and where my father did a lot of his work with his team at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This is an extraordinary area. A lot of the work that he and his team were doing was around grassroots organizing. In fact, they were very effective because of that. So, today when we’re looking at transforming a nation, it really is the people on the ground who make the changes. Yes, there are people in different areas who vote on legislation who are very important, but it is what I call ‘street heat’ which is what grassroots organizations create so legislators will be encouraged to vote for what the people want. Voting is the most fundamental right that exists.”
During this event, the historic “For the People” photo exhibit was launched. Media professionals and citizens of Atlanta walked with the King family to each exhibit. This is an outdoor installation that allows the Black community to celebrate the political work and activism of Black women and the American civil rights movements.
These works were curated by blackpuffin, a boutique company dedicated to working exclusively with artists from Africa and the diaspora. It features the work of 10 acclaimed Black female photographers. This exhibit will run along Atlanta’s Black Wall Street, from now until Sept. 30, 2021. It will also be in alignment with the Aug. 28 anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington.
