Archiving People’s History: A Panel and Conversation

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION, STAND UP, FIGHT BACK: DESIGNING AN ANTI-RACIST MOVEMENT FOR WORKER POWER

This exhibition tells the story of how thoughtful, sustained commitment to design for social change can become a force-multiplier that enriches the struggle for anti-racist, working class organizing. Through the creation of a visual identity using color, typography, illustration, and composition and its consistent application since 2011, Stand Up KC has become inseparable from their iconic red shirts with blocky white lettering and the matching posters and banners they carry at public actions. In a unique visual melting pot, organizational design works in concert with the artistic expression of low-wage workers to forge a compelling movement identity. A wide collection of graphic ephemera sits alongside photo and video documentation and cell phone photography from the workers themselves, which provide compelling visuals of everyday life of people working beyond full time and struggling to get by. This mix of design, documentation, and photography further cements the legacy of workers’ struggle for a living wage, protections on the job, and the right to unionize.

Now stretching beyond a decade, this rich narrative is told through a vast array of artifacts and media. Full-size banners and silkscreened posters carried on the street by workers will be featured alongside dozens of event flyers, documentary video and photos, used to publicize the group’s organizing. Behind-the-scenes process and unused designs, oral histories from workers, and a range of other ephemera will be on display to paint a multi-faceted picture of this ongoing anti-racist, working class struggle for economic justice.