A billboard in Mississippi, created by For Freedoms, an Artist-run Super PAC, gained notoriety due to its provocative juxtaposition of an image from the 1965 Selma Civil Rights campaign with President-Elect Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." The artist behind the billboard, Hank Willis Thomas, is no stranger to controversy.
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, site of the "Bloody Sunday" march.
The billboard uses an image from "Bloody Sunday" in Selma during the 1965 voter registration campaign.
The Artist's Intent
Thomas, 40, said For Freedoms used similar billboard images in cities throughout America, but Pearl was the only location using that particular image. The intent was to ask a question that he said went unasked during the presidential campaign.
"One question that never came up with the President-Elect was, when are you talking about?" Thomas said. "The Cold War? The crack and AIDS epidemic? Interning Japanese citizens? The Depression? The Civil War? When was this time you want the country to go back to? There's never been a greater time for more citizens than right now."
Read also: From Comedy Central to Africa
Another way to read the billboard image is to consider that perhaps the greatness of America is best depicted in the Civil Rights struggle. Thomas said Alabama and Mississippi, during those days, was the "epicenter" of change.
"That was a time of greatness because people stood up and fought for change," he said. "We wanted to pay homage to this. Through a non-violent response to brutality, they helped overcome the status quo."
A Civil Rights Movement Banner
Reactions and Removal
According to WTJV, Pearl Mayor Brad Rogers hoped to have the billboard taken down this week. But he noted the billboard was on display for weeks before the election, with no complaints.
"It would be interesting to know what reaction this same image would have gotten two years ago," he said.
Read also: Meanings of African Tattoos
In Montgomery, a similar controversy erupted over a billboard that paired MAGA messaging with blackface imagery. Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed ordered the billboard removed almost immediately after it went up, calling it a politicized distortion of a sacred history.
“We must be extremely mindful of how we use such images of our shared history, especially when they risk being perceived as politically charged,” Reed stated. “Our history deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and care, ensuring it unifies rather than divides us as a community.”
Hank Willis Thomas and Public Art
Thomas gained attention in Birmingham in 2007 with one of his works at the Birmingham Museum of Art. "Priceless #1" was a satirical take on the "priceless" Mastercard commercials which turned the image of a grieving family into a powerful statement about inner-city violence.
The piece included text placed over a photo of a family at a funeral. It says "3-piece suit: $250; new socks: $2; 9mm pistol: $79; gold chain: $400; bullet: 60 cents ... Picking the perfect casket for your son: Priceless." The family depicted was Thomas' own, mourning the loss of his cousin.
It was then, Thomas said, that he realized the power of public art. "It's more effective when it's on the street," he said.
Read also: Understanding Ethiopian Politics
The controversy has drawn sharp responses from civil rights and arts advocates. The Southern Poverty Law Center praised the mayor’s decision, saying, “We can never afford to empower or embolden bad actors to cause harm and trample the rights and freedoms of marginalized groups.”
But the National Coalition Against Censorship condemned the move as government overreach, writing in a letter to Reed, “Though you may not agree with the politics or the vision of the artists behind the billboard, your position…does not give you the right to enforce your personal political perspective on the museum’s programming.”
For many in Montgomery, the billboard has reopened wounds tied to the ongoing use of MAGA rhetoric. The slogan, tied to Donald Trump’s presidency, has long raised questions: Which America is being called “great,” and when exactly was it great?
“This is a country built on slavery, and the legacy of slavery,” one resident stated. “What has been great are the people who fought for freedom."
Should Art Be Political?
Kanye West's Political Views and Controversies
American rapper Kanye West has received mainstream media attention for his outspoken views on numerous political and social issues. From 2018 to 2020, West publicly endorsed Donald Trump on several occasions until launching his own campaign, and supported Trump once more in 2024.
Kanye West
In his unsuccessful run for President of the United States in 2020, he espoused consistent life ethic and other Christian positions.
In October 2022, Kanye West stated that he is anti-abortion, claiming that "there are more Black babies being aborted than born in New York City at this point. That 50% of Black death in America is abortion".
In a 2022 interview for Censored.TV with Gavin McInnes, West stated: "You know, the thing about that, 95 percent of gay people don't get married anyway. So it's a very liberal thing that is put up to like cause these headlines.
In 2018, West criticized the Thirteenth Amendment, citing the provision allowing slavery as punishment for a crime.
In November 2016, West told black people to "stop focusing on racism", but clarified that his support for Trump did not mean he did not "believe in Black Lives Matter."
Antisemitism Controversy
In October 2022, CNN reported, based on anonymous sources, that West had a "disturbing history of admiring" Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. Rolling Stone reported that West's admiration of the Nazis and Hitler had been an open secret within the music industry for around two decades.
During a freestyle event in 2005, West rapped: "I'm tight with my dough like my family Jews, Uh!
During the Big Chill music festival on August 6, 2011, West was booed after comparing himself to Hitler during an onstage rant.
On December 1, 2022, West praised Hitler on InfoWars, saying "every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler", "I love Jewish people but I also love Nazis", "There's a lot of things that I love about Hitler; a lot of things", "I like Hitler", and "I am a Nazi".
Reactions to West's Statements
Organizations such as the Anti-Defamation Commission and the Adelaide Holocaust Museum also support banning West from entering the country.
In an Instagram post from March 2023, West wrote, "Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street made me like Jewish people again..."
The controversy surrounding the "Go Back to Africa" billboard and the statements made by public figures like Kanye West highlight the complexities of race, politics, and historical memory in contemporary society.
Popular articles:
tags: #Africa
