Freedom Singing, SCLC Convention: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black-and-white digital image of a group of three men, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Reverend Ralph Abernathy, and four women circled in front of a microphone singing. The group is standing in front of a stage with a podium labeled [L. R. Hall/ AUDITORIUM]. The woman on the left of the image is in profile to the viewer. She is wearing a jacket with a collar and a pin. She and the man next to her, are in front of a woman in the back, only her face and part of her arm are seen. The man is in profile facing right wearing a dark suit and tie. King stands next in a dark suit and patterned tie, with a badge on the left of his jacket lapel. King's right arm is raised. A woman stands next to King looking at him. She is wearing a dark sleeveless dress and her left hand is holding her right arm. The next woman is wearing a light skirt suit and she is holding her arms behind her back. Abernathy, standing on the right of the image, is wearing a dark suit and tie with a badge on the left of his jacket lapel. His eyes are closed and his hands are knitted together.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1962
• Photograph by: James H. Karales, American, 1930 - 2002
• Created by: Rick Rhodes Photography & Imaging, LLC, American
• Subject of: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
• Created by: Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, American, 1926 - 1990
• Subject of: Southern Christian Leadership Conference, American, founded 1957
• Created by: The Freedom Singers, American, founded 1962
• Type: digital images
• Type: digital media - born analog
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: H x W: 3154 pixels × 4564 pixels
• Dimensions: File size: 13.77 MB
• Place captured: Birmingham, West Midlands County, Alabama, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Civil Rights
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Photography
• Topic: Political organizations
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: U.S. History, 1961-1969
• Object number: 2015.129.10
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Monica Karales and the Estate of James Karales
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Estate of James Karales Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.