Registration now closed

Art as Activism: A Conversation with Emory Douglas

A Black Panther Party 1960s and 1970s Artist

Join us for a dynamic conversation with revolutionary American artist, Emory Douglas. We will discuss Mr. Douglas' influence during the civil rights movement of the 60s and 70s.

How is art an agent for activism and civic engagement? 

This lecture is being held in conjunction with walls turned sideways are bridges: narratives of necessity, an AARLCC exhibition curated by Marie Vickles and william cordova, on display through May 27, 2023. This exhibition disrupts, illuminates and reframes images and materials within a historical context in response to the social phenomenon surrounding "Black Resistance."

Emory Douglas was politically involved as Revolutionary Artist and then Minister of Culture for the Black Panther party, from February 1967 until the early 1980s. Douglas’s art and design concepts were always seen on the front and back pages of the Black Panther Newspaper, reflecting the politics of the Black Panther Party and the concerns of the community. A retrospective of Douglas’s art work was published in the 2008 June/July volume of Art in America, PRINT Magazine, American Legacy Magazine and the American Institute of Public Arts. An art book of Emory Douglas’s graphic artwork was published in 2007 titled: “Black Panther, The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas." It provides a comprehensive collection of Douglas’s graphics Form the 1960s and 1970s.

About the African American Research Library and Cultural Center 
The Broward County African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) is located in the Sistrunk community, one of the oldest historically Black communities named for one of Fort Lauderdale’s first Black physicians. Opening to the public on October 26, 2002, AARLCC became the third public library of its kind in the United States dedicated to the study of Black history and culture. The 60,000 square-foot Center serves as a repository of materials related to the local, national, and international voices of the African diaspora with more than 85,000 books, manuscripts, artifacts, framed art, print, photography, audiovisual, and documents held in our Adult Services Section and Special Collections. The Youth Services Section features a special collection of Coretta Scott King Award books and the Ashley Bryan Art Collection from illustrators of African Descent. AARLCC also features a 5,000 sq. ft. museum, a 300-seat state-of-the-art theatre, and a Computer Training Center.

Upcoming Events