'Freedom and Resistance': An Exhibition

Image

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, the DC Public Library presents Freedom and Resistance: An Exhibition Inspired by The 1619 Project. 

The exhibition features three sections, created in collaboration with the editors of The New York Times Magazine and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, and D.C. educators who worked with their students utilizing resources and support from the Pulitzer Center. 

Visitors can explore connections between the experiences of Black Americans and the ideals of American freedom. 

Section 1: Artworks from The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

Curated by the editors of The New York Times Magazine and led by Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience is an illustrated edition of The 1619 Project. DC Public Library is pleased to present original artworks from the publication. 

Artworks from The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience offer the same revolutionary argument for a new national origin story, one that begins in late August 1619, when a cargo ship of people stolen from Africa arrived on the shores of Point Comfort, Virginia. The exhibition includes original artworks by 10 Black artists that highlight themes of resistance and freedom.

Section 2: Echoes of 1619: Freedom and Resistance in Washington, D.C.
 

This section of the exhibition—guest curated by Dominique Hazzard and designed by Art Dept.—traces the deep local connections between the first enslaved Africans brought to Point Comfort in 1619 and the lives of Washingtonians today. As Hannah-Jones writes in The 1619 Project, “Black Americans have also been, and continue to be, foundational to the idea of American freedom.”

This exhibition section explores three themes that illuminate that truth through a D.C. lens.

"Origins" considers our region’s proximity to the site where enslaved people were first brought to this country, and the foundational experiences of people enslaved in Maryland and the early capital.
"Resistance" examines the enduring struggle for political power and the city’s unique legacy of disenfranchisement.
"Freedom" highlights Washington as a crucial hub for free Black communities and a first refuge in the North.

Section 3: Freedom and Resistance: Through the Eyes of D.C. Youth

DC Public Library and the Pulitzer Center invited middle and high school student artists in the district to submit original artwork responding to the ideas of freedom and resistance.

Students were invited to consider the struggles for justice in the nation’s capital, including the 1968 uprisings after King’s assassination; the activism and leadership of city policymakers, organizers, and creators; the statehood movement; and the Black Lives Matter protests that filled D.C. streets in recent years.

Students were also required to explore at least one of several suggested texts, videos, or photo news stories that explore the exhibition themes. 

More than 280 works were submitted by students from over a dozen schools, spanning drawing, painting, collage, poetry, photography, and collaborative class projects. Nearly 80 pieces were selected for a gallery display. A wide variety of all submissions may be viewed in a digital showcase.

The exhibition is open to visitors during all open library hours January 16-March 15, 2026. 

Hours:

Sunday: 1:00-5:00pm
Monday-Thursday: 9:30am-9:00pm
Friday: 9:30am-5:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am-5:30pm