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The People Shall Govern!

A work made of screenprint in black and brown on white wove paper.

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  • A work made of screenprint in black and brown on white wove paper.

Date:

1982

Artist:

Judy A. Seidman
American, born 1951, active in Botswana and South Africa

About this artwork

The bold slogans inscribed across this poster quote from the Freedom Charter of the African National Congress (ANC). This document outlined the core principles for creating an equitable post-apartheid society. The imagery is drawn from a photograph by Eli Weinberg of the public gathering at which the charter was formally ratified in 1955.

The ANC drafted the charter by dispatching fifty thousand volunteers across townships (racially segregated urban areas) to interview people about what changes would be necessary to realize such a society. They synthesized these thousands of demands into 10 key points, foremost among them “The People Shall Govern!”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Judy Ann Seidman

Title

The People Shall Govern!

Place

South Africa (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1982

Medium

Screenprint in black and brown on white wove paper

Dimensions

42.8 × 61 cm (16 7/8 × 24 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Artworkers Retirement Society

Reference Number

2018.455

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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