Witness to History: Civil Rights Comic Books
July 1, 2022 – December 4, 2022
This special installation from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History looks at three civil rights comic books designed to teach children and adults about Black history, non-violent protest, and voting power.
This special installation from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History looks at three civil rights comic books designed to teach children and adults about Black history, non-violent protest, and voting power. Comic books emerged in the 1930s as a compilation of comic strips that had been published in newspapers. The period from the 1930s through the 1950s is known as the Golden Age of Comic Books, and during this period, comic books were usually simple stories, often with more text than images. Due to segregation laws, Black writers and artists could not create content for White-owned publications. As a result, comic books rarely featured Black characters.
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.
