Caricatures of Blacks Questioned through USM Exhibit

The University of Southern Maine is observing the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with an exhibit exploring prejudice imbedded in cultural caricatures of African Americans. The ongoing exhibit is on display at USM’s Glickman Family Library in Portland and will continue through February in recognition of Black History Month.

The exhibit, “’If He Hollers, Let Him Go”: Dismantling Black Caricature’” is a compilation of photographs, advertisements, and visual objects from the Gerald E. Talbot and Shoshana Hoose Collections of the African American Archives of Maine.

The exhibit explores a spectrum of Black caricatures and dispels prejudicial stereotypes with actual representations of African Americans from Maine and across the country. The exhibit will run through Monday, April 30 on the fourth floor of the Glickman Library. Admission is free and open to the public.

The African American Archives of Maine are part of USM’s Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine. The Sampson Center is named for the late activist and champion for human and civil rights who founded the Maine Chapter of the NAACP and served as the first woman chair of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. It includes collections and promotes public programming relating to culturally diverse communities in Maine.

The exhibit is sponsored by USM’s Office of the President, Office for Multicultural Student Affairs, and the USM Library. For more information about the exhibit and library hours, please call 780-4507.