Freedom Fighters, the Kennedys and the Struggle for Civil Rights

I. A. (May 14, 2014)
A collection of 80 photographs curated by Alessandra Mauro e Sara Antonelli for la Fondazione Forma per la fotografia is coming to Turin the end of this month. The eighty photograph collection, curated by Alessandra Mauro e Sara Antonelli is to highlight the actions of the Kennedy brothers in their struggle for a better, just, and solid society.

The exhibit titled "Freedom Fighters, the Kennedys and the Struggle for Civil Rights" is making its way North and arrives in Turin on May 17th, 2014. Organized and hosted by Fondazione Roselli, it will remain on view for the public at the Fondazione headquarters located in Corso Giulio Cesare 4bis/B, from the 19th to the 30th of May.

The eighty photograph collection, curated by Alessandra Mauro e Sara Antonelli for la Fondazione Forma per la fotografia is to highlight the actions of the Kennedy brothers in their struggle for a better, just, and solid society.

Under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, the initiative is being organized in partnership with the Robert Kennedy Foundation of Europe, established in 2005 with the intent to promote throughout Europe the projects of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, one of the landmarks in the world for the protection and education in the field of human rights.

The exhibition opening is scheduled for 6 PM on Saturday, May 17th. During the opening, the President of the Foundation, Riccardo Viale Rosselli will be joined by Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy and Honorary President of the RK Foundation of Europe.

Kerry Kennedy stated in the exhibition press release: "I have the honor to welcome you to an exhibition dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the approval of the American Civil Rights Act…Someone looking at these pictures today, might wonder why, almost fifty years after their death, our reaction to seeing images of these men is so strong. I think these images touch us today for the same reason why the crowds responded positively to these leaders five decades ago. Bobby Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. were welcomed with great enthusiasm around the world, not because their politics were radically different (although they were) and not because they had a new method of dealing with problems of the world. The reason was that in their life, both public and private, they all were able to touch upon the courage and the spirit of compassion that is nestled deep in the heart of each of us."

The exhibit is divided into two sections: the first dedicated to a chronological reconstruction of events and characters that have distinguished the battles for civil rights between 1776 and 1964. The second part is devoted to symbolic moments of those same battles, and it includes the images of masters of photography such as Elliot Erwitt, Eve Arnold, Bruce Davidson, and Danny Lyon who portray the protagonists: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and the Kennedy brothers.

"The show at the Kennedy Center - stated Riccardo Viale - highlights a crucial chapter in the development of Western democracy: the battle over civil rights. Looking at the pictures of the exhibition, our thoughts drift toward the noble and democratic history of the United States of America, through the Kennedy brothers, joining all from Roosevelt to Obama and those whom always believed that the strengthening of liberal democracy passes through the fight against poverty and social exclusion."

The sponsors of this wonderful exhibit are the city of Turin, together with the Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Lavazza. The mayor of Turin, Piero Fassino notes: "50 years after the civil wars of that great nation, are framed in the beautiful images of this exhibition, they are a warning, which reminds us that the construction of a more just, more equitable, more unified society must be an integral part of our daily work." If you find yourself in Tourin between the 19th and 30th of May, this is certainly an exhibit worth seeing.

If you cannot make it share it with your Italian friends, as this is another opportunity for constructing a bridge between America and Italy, and more importantly, between italian and American culture. For more information click here >>>>>

Comments

i-Italy

Facebook

Google+

Select one to show comments and join the conversation