The Art Of Protest

Presented in collaboration with Amnesty International, this stunning collection of more than a hundred posters charts a visual journey across more than a century of political and social activism. From the suffragettes of the early twentieth century to the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s to contemporary, social-media-driven demonstrations of dissent and resistance, this illustrative history features iconic art from the archives of Amnesty International, work by world-renowned artists, and spontaneous posters from short-lived print collectives and activists on the ground. The Art of Protest covers key campaigns, global and local, including the refugee and climate crises, women's empowerment, nuclear disarmament, LGBTQ activism, Black Lives Matter, and issues around war and the misuse of the world's resources. These are images that have pushed boundaries as they give voice to the marginalized and confront those who would deny people their rights to peace and equality.

Thanks to art's ability to communicate and influence, it has always had a charged relationship with activism and politics. And, given the tumultuous times in which we live, with traditional democracies being challenged from all sides, the changing climate, global movements for social justice, and political upheaval causing millions to search for a better life abroad, this relationship has never been more important. The Art of Protest will explore the connection between art, politics, and activism today, revealing how, over the past decade, artists have been engaging with political and social issues of all kinds, through different artistic mediums.

A second edition of the classic introduction to arts in social movements, fully updated and now including Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, and new digital and social media forms of cultural resistance The Art of Protest, first published in 2006, was hailed as an “essential” introduction to progressive social movements in the United States and praised for its “fluid writing style” and “well-informed and insightful” contribution (Choice Magazine). Now thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition of T. V. Reed’s acclaimed work offers engaging accounts of ten key progressive movements in postwar America, from the African American struggle for civil rights beginning in the 1950s to Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter in the twenty-first century. Reed focuses on the artistic activities of these movements as a lively way to frame progressive social change and its cultural legacies: civil rights freedom songs, the street drama of the Black Panthers, revolutionary murals of the Chicano movement, poetry in women’s movements, the American Indian Movement’s use of film and video, anti-apartheid rock music, ACT UP’s visual art, digital arts in #Occupy, Black Lives Matter rap videos, and more. Through the kaleidoscopic lens of artistic expression, Reed reveals how activism profoundly shapes popular cultural forms. For students and scholars of social change and those seeking to counter reactionary efforts to turn back the clock on social equality and justice, the new edition of The Art of Protest will be both informative and inspiring.

Celebrate the right to resist! Human rights belong to every single one of us, but they are often under threat. Developed in collaboration with Amnesty International, Rise Up! encourages young people to engage in peaceful protest and stand up for freedom. Photographs of protest posters celebrate the ongoing fight for gender equality, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, refugee and immigrant rights, peace, and the environment.

In The Art of Moral Protest, James Jasper integrates diverse examples of protest—from nineteenth-century boycotts to recent movements—into a distinctive new understanding of how social movements work. Jasper highlights their creativity, not only in forging new morals but in adopting courses of action and inventing organizational forms. "A provocative perspective on the cultural implications of political and social protest."—Library Journal

Presented in collaboration with Amnesty International, this stunning collection of more than a hundred posters charts a visual journey across more than a century of political and social activism. From the suffragettes of the early twentieth century to the upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s to contemporary, social-media-driven demonstrations of dissent and resistance, this illustrative history features iconic art from the archives of Amnesty International, work by world-renowned artists, and spontaneous posters from short-lived print collectives and activists on the ground. The Art of Protest covers key campaigns, global and local, including the refugee and climate crises, women's empowerment, nuclear disarmament, LGBTQ activism, Black Lives Matter, and issues around war and the misuse of the world's resources. These are images that have pushed boundaries as they give voice to the marginalized and confront those who would deny people their rights to peace and equality.