Poor People's Campaign pin
Object number2022.008.0001
Date1968
ClassificationsArtifacts
ObjectPin
Credit LineThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection
MediumMetal
DimensionsDiameter: 2 1/8 × 1/4 in. (5.4 × 0.6 cm)
DescriptionThis round pin advertises the 1968 Poor People's Campaign. It is 2 1/8" in diameter and features a graphic design of an African American person cradling a white person. The text "Poor People's Campaign 1968" is printed in black text on a white background next to the design.
The reverse of the pin has a metal clasp that allow the pin to be attached to an item of clothing.
Curatorial CommentaryThe Poor People's Campaign was envisioned by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as a multi-ethnic coalition of poor people from across the United States. It was meant to draw attention to the plight of the poor, whether they were from urban ghettos or rural Appalachia. Dr. King was assassinated before the campaign could come to fruition, but Rev. Ralph Abernathy vowed to carry on the campaign in honor of Dr. King. The campaign culminated in a 16-acre encampment, Resurrection City, occupied by more than 3,000 poor people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. from May 21 to June 24, 1968. - Stephanie Allen-Givens, Collections and Exhibits Manager
A new incarnation of the Poor People's Campaign, inspired by the 1968 campaign, is active today. You can learn about it here: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/about/ - Stephanie Allen-Givens, Collections and Exhibits Manager
Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre
2004
