Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi) (1965)
Norman Rockwell (1984-1978)
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachesettes
"We called Italians 'wops', Frenchmen 'frogs', Jews 'kikes' --
class feeling was strong. Everybody was classified."
Who would guess that the man who painted such cheerful, colorful, idyllic illustrations of American life was raised in the racial intolerance of New York City's upper west side?
But along with his portrayals of a more innocent time, he also recorded the tensions of history with mind-boggling detail.
Rickwell was an openly political man...and his politics weren't what some people expected. In this painting, Rockwell's horror over the 1964 murder of civil right activists
Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwemer and James Chaney
is reflected in spin-chilling realism.
AR would probably be embarrassed to be portrayed as one of these brave activists. But, because of his support of charities and projects against injustice, perhaps he will forgive me if including his likeness draws attention to such a powerful painting.
Click to see the real Southern Justice
Click image above to go to the next page, or choose a thumbnail below
to go directly to that FAMOUS ARt.
to go directly to that FAMOUS ARt.
(I always give permission, but it's still nice to ask first)