THE CHILDREN OF BIRMINGHAM c. 1964 offset lithograph 16” x 9 signed in the plate
The Freedom Tree in memory of: The Children of Birmingham Illustrated: Joseph, Cliff. “Art, Politics, and the Life Force.” Forward: Journal of Socialist Thought 9, no. 1 (Spring 1989): 43. On September 15, 1963 a bomb set by three former KKK members exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four African American girls (ages 11-14) who were there for church services. President Kennedy responds by saying, “If these cruel and tragic events can only awaken that city and state—if they can awaken this entire nation to a realization of the folly of racial injustice and hatred and violence, then it is not too late for all concerned to unite in steps toward peaceful progress before more lives are lost.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holds a press conference in Birmingham, describing it as “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.” Initially, because witnesses were reluctant to cooperate, the suspects were not charged, but later the cases were re-opened, and in the case of Bob Cherry, it was 2002 before he was charged for murder. Cliff Joseph wrote to Martin Luther King, Jr. sending him a large quantity of the cards, Children of Birmingham: “this card is an expression of lingering sorrow over the tragic death of the four little Birmingham girls. I am proposing this card be used in a fund-raising project to support the freedom movement. I would like to propose focusing upon the anniversary date of the Birmingham incident as a prelude to concentration on the national election date; leaving Christmas as our final concern.” Joseph also contributed funds directly to the SCLC. This work depicts the debris of the church formed into a Christmas tree and manger.
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