Explore Black History

January 20, 2017

A placard created by Dr. Ayeisha Brinson and carried during the Women's March on Washington, January 21, 2017. The placard is white with a thick red, foil border. On the left side of the placard is handwritten black, blue, and red text in varying fonts that reads [THE / future / iS/ Nasty]. The word [Nasty] is hand printed in bubble text that has been filled in with red and silver glitter. A large, newsprint, full page advertisement by the Amplifier Foundation in the January 20, 2017 edition of the Washington Post dominates the right side of the placard. The advertisement depicts a graphic by artist Shepard Fairey, titled "We the People Are Greater Than Fear." The graphic is of a Muslim woman in a hijab, depicted from the shoulders up, against a light blue gradient background. The hijab is made from the American flag with a blue, star spangled field on the proper right side of her head and face, and red and white stripes on the proper left side of her head and face. The stars on the hijab have been filled in with silver glitter, her eyelids highlighted with green glitter, and her lips filled in with red glitter. The proper right side of the woman’s face and hijab are shaded in blues. Above the graphic, printed in black, block text is [WE THE / PEOPLE] framed on either side by two (2) light blue diamonds, and top and bottom by two (2) light blue bands. Below the graphic is a thick light blue band with white block text that reads [ARE GREATER THAN FEAR]. Black text at the top of the advertisement reads [ADVERTISEMENT] in the top left corner and [THE WASHINGTONPOST · Friday, January 20, 2017 / ADVERTISEMENT] in the top right corner. Black text at the bottom of the advertisement reads [WE THE PEOPLE ARE INDIVISIBLE, WE ARE RESILIENT, WE PROTECT EACH OTHER, WE DEFEND DIGNITY, WE ARE GREATER THAN FEAR, / WWW.WETHEPEOPLEARE.ORG | A PROJECT OF THE AMPLIFIER FOUNDATION]. The back of the placard is white with handwritten black ink text and red and gold glitter text that reads [THE / POWer of THE / PEOPLE / is / Stronger than the / PEOPLE In Power]. In the bottom left corner are ten (10) color animal stickers overlaying a manufacturer's sticker. A white ribbon has been threaded through two (2) holes punched along the top edge of the placard and knotted in place.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Memorabilia and Ephemera - Political and Activist Ephemera

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Ayeisha Brinson

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2017.92.1

placards (information artifacts)

Newspaper clipping © Shepard Fairey and the Washington Post
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

ink , pressure-sensitive tape , glitter and glue on cardboard with ribbon

H x W: 29 1/8 × 22 1/16 in. (74 × 56 cm)

Object Name • Placard with "The Future is Nasty" used during the Women's March

nmaahc_2017.92.1

NMAAHC

PLACARD WITH "THE FUTURE IS NASTY" USED DURING THE WOMEN'S MARCH

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

2010s

Wethepeople.org, Inc. • Women's March • ArtSkills • Fairey, Shepard • Brinson, Ayeisha • The Washington Post • The Amplifier Foundation

District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Montgomery County • Silver Spring • Maryland • Washington

Women • Activism • Art • Feminism • Religion • Politics • Group identity

City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Silver Spring • County • Montgomery County • State • Maryland

Images

Use Restricted