Accession Number
2003/2.69.28

Title
Tired Marchers Sleep on the Streets—"We were tired, we were tired.", Selma, Alabama

Artist(s)
Edward (Robbie) Roberson

Object Creation Date
1963, printed 2000

Medium & Support
inkjet print on paper

Dimensions
11 in x 14 in (27.94 cm x 35.56 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Detroit Focus 2000, and partial purchase with funds from the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund

Subject matter
Unlike his most well-known work, the 1955 photograph of Emmett Till's murdered body published in Jet magazine, this later photograph captures a more positive scene of the Civil Rights Movement. Selma, Alabama was one of the centers of the fight for voting rights for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. This photo may be from "Freedom Day," organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was part of their voter registeration campaign. Roberson was a self-taught photographer from Detroit who photographed moments of the Civil Rights Movement as well as various political and sports events. According to Roberson, one of his goals as a photographer was to capture positive scenes of the African American community, as a contrast to mainstrean media. 

Physical Description
A black and white photograph of four people lying on the ground. One person's face is covered by an American flag, while the man behind her has his face covered by a hat. The group appears to be asleep. The feet and shoes of other people standing around the group of four is visible in the background. The print is signed (l.r.) "Edward Roberson" in pen.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
African American
civil rights
flags
political art
protests
self-taught artists