The year 1965 was a pivotal moment in history, marked by consequential social, political, and cultural developments. In the United States, the civil rights movement gained momentum, culminating in the Selma to Montgomery marches, which highlighted the struggle for voting rights and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year. The assassination of Malcolm X, a former Nation of Islam leader, shocked the nation, underscoring the tensions within the civil rights movement and the broader struggle for African American empowerment.
A panel of three Smithsonian curators delves into objects that symbolize these events. Kevin Strait of the National Museum of African American History and Culture shows the pen used by Lyndon Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act into law; Daniel Piazza of the National Postal Museum showcases a postage stamp issued to memorialize Malcolm X; and Taina Caragol of the National Portrait Gallery shares its portrait of John Lewis, one of the leaders of the civil rights march on “Bloody Sunday.” After their individual talks, Strait, Piazza, and Caragol discuss the significance of these events and objects to the Smithsonian collection.
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