Mrs. Rosa Parks at the Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana in 1972 (Primary Title)
LeRoy Henderson, American, born 1936 (Artist)
In historical accounts of the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X usually occupy key places within very different phases and strategies of the struggle. In 1955 when Parks refused to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she set off the bus boycotts led by Martin Luther King Jr. In the late 1950s, Malcolm X entered the movement as a leader of the Nation of Islam. Aspects of his radical philosophy were embraced by the Black Panthers, among many others, after his 1965 assassination. Henderson’s ability to capture the unexpected juxtaposition, as Rosa Parks admires a poster of Malcolm X, illustrates her continued involvement in the civil rights efforts into the early 1970s, attending key rallies and meetings, such as the Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, in 1972.
Signed by the artist in graphite on verso: "LeRoy W. Henderson"
Annotated by the artist in graphite on verso: "1972 / Printed 1990's / 1/3 / LeRoy W. Henderson"
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
A Commitment to the Community: The Black Photographers Annual, Volume I, VMFA, February 16, 2017 – October 1, 2017
© LeRoy Henderson
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