Her Artistry Was So Powerful, Police Arrested Her
Black History Year
PushBlack
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 11 March 2025
⏱️ 3 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Faith Ringgold was known for interpreting political movements and their struggles through art, from narrative quilts to paintings. But in 1970, the police thought she’d gone too far - and arrested her for making this powerful and possibly illegal statement.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Faith Ringgold was a master of interpreting political movements through her art, |
| 0:04.8 | from narrative quilts to powerful paintings. |
| 0:07.8 | But in 1970, the police thought she'd gone too far. |
| 0:12.1 | And they arrested her for making this poignant, and possibly illegal, statement. |
| 0:17.8 | I'm Sydney, and this is two-minute black history, what you didn't learn in school. |
| 0:26.9 | On November 13, 1970, New York City Police raided Judson Memorial Church. Faith Ringgold, |
| 0:34.8 | John Hendricks, and John Tosh had just wrapped up day five of their art show. |
| 0:39.9 | The charge? |
| 0:41.2 | Desecrating the U.S. flag. |
| 0:44.0 | The exhibit, called the People's Flag Show, was a bold response to censorship. |
| 0:49.5 | Three years earlier in 1967, an art gallery owner was convicted for displaying anti-Vietnam War art featuring |
| 0:57.8 | the flag. Ringold and her collaborators knew this wasn't right, so they decided to fight back. |
| 1:04.7 | They invited artists to submit pieces resisting censorship and repression, and for days they |
| 1:09.8 | showcased everything from paintings to performances. |
| 1:12.8 | One artist even burned a flag. |
| 1:15.9 | The backlash was swift, and the raid led to their arrest. |
| 1:21.0 | All three artists were fined $100 for mutilating the flag. |
| 1:25.6 | That's about $800 today. |
| 1:27.8 | But they didn't stay quiet. |
| 1:29.7 | They declared, quote, |
| 1:30.8 | we have been convicted, |
| 1:33.0 | but it is this nation and these courts who are guilty. |
... |
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