Photograph by
Wilson, Heather, American, born 1977
Subject of
Tesfamariam, Rahiel, Eritrean American, born 1981
Brown, Michael Jr., 1996 - 2014
Hands Up United, American, founded 2014
Date
August 10, 2015
Medium
digital
Dimensions
H x W: 2723 pixels × 4086 pixels
File size (Total): 31.86 MB
Description
A digital color photograph titled, “This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Civil Rights Movement,” taken by Heather Wilson during a protest in St. Louis, Missouri, held to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the police shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. The subject of the photo, Rahiel Tesfamariam, is depicted on the far right of the photograph, being arrested outside the Thomas Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. She is shown from the thighs up, facing the viewer, and looking into the distance towards the left. She has a serious expression on her face. Her arms are being held behind her back by a Department of Homeland Security officer. She is wearing blue jeans and a black Hands Up United T-shirt with cut-off sleeves and a cropped waist. The T-shirt has large, white, centered text on the front that reads [This Ain’t / Yo Mama’s / Civil Rights / Movement]. Her long, curly hair is pulled up into a ponytail at the top of her crown. The officer holding arresting Tesfamariam is standing almost directly behind her, with only his right side visible. He has a bald head and is wearing a dark blue, short sleeve uniform with matching pants and a blue bulletproof vest. He has a black and gold shield shaped patch on his uniform shirt, over his proper right bicep. Gold embroidered text at the top of the shield patch reads [POLICE]. Embroidered below is the Department of Homeland Security Seal: a blue-and-white American eagle inside a circular blue field. The eagle's wings are outstretched and expand over a thin, inner red ring into a wider outer white ring with blue text that reads [[U.S.?] DEPARTMENT OF], at the top, and [[HOMELAND?] SECURITY], at the bottom. Embroidered gold text at the bottom of the patch reads [FEDERAL / PROTECTIVE / SERVICE]. He also has a gun strapped to his right hip. He is holding the handcuffed arms of Tesfamariam's arms with his right hand and a thin purse strap with his left hand. Standing next to Tesfamariam and the Department of Homeland Security officer are two partially visible police officers wearing light blue, short sleeve police uniform shirts and dark blue uniform pants. The officer in front is wearing a blue fabric lanyard with repeating white text on it that reads [U.S. Attorney’s Office]. The officer behind him has a silver tone shield pinned over his left breast and a blurred name tag over his right chest pocket. On the left side of the photograph is a white wall and door with a series of five, tall, rectangular metal kick plates attached to the bottom.
Place captured
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Movement
Black Lives Matter
Type
portraits
digital images
primary digital collection objects (pdco)
Topic
Activism
Justice
Photography
Police brutality
Race relations
U.S. History, 2001-
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2021.81
Restrictions & Rights
© Heather Wilson
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd552eba422-cab5-4570-ac62-72f01d8343a8

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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