Explore Black History

August 10, 2015

A digital color photograph titled, “This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Civil Rights Movement,” taken by Heather Wilson during a protest in St. Louis, Missouri, held to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the police shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. The subject of the photo, Rahiel Tesfamariam, is depicted on the far right of the photograph, being arrested outside the Thomas Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri. She is shown from the thighs up, facing the viewer, and looking into the distance towards the left. She has a serious expression on her face. Her arms are being held behind her back by a Department of Homeland Security officer. She is wearing blue jeans and a black Hands Up United T-shirt with cut-off sleeves and a cropped waist. The T-shirt has large, white, centered text on the front that reads [This Ain’t / Yo Mama’s / Civil Rights / Movement]. Her long, curly hair is pulled up into a ponytail at the top of her crown. The officer holding arresting Tesfamariam is standing almost directly behind her, with only his right side visible. He has a bald head and is wearing a dark blue, short sleeve uniform with matching pants and a blue bulletproof vest. He has a black and gold shield shaped patch on his uniform shirt, over his proper right bicep. Gold embroidered text at the top of the shield patch reads [POLICE]. Embroidered below is the Department of Homeland Security Seal: a blue-and-white American eagle inside a circular blue field. The eagle's wings are outstretched and expand over a thin, inner red ring into a wider outer white ring with blue text that reads [[U.S.?] DEPARTMENT OF], at the top, and [[HOMELAND?] SECURITY], at the bottom. Embroidered gold text at the bottom of the patch reads [FEDERAL / PROTECTIVE / SERVICE]. He also has a gun strapped to his right hip. He is holding the handcuffed arms of Tesfamariam's arms with his right hand and a thin purse strap with his left hand. Standing next to Tesfamariam and the Department of Homeland Security officer are two partially visible police officers wearing light blue, short sleeve police uniform shirts and dark blue uniform pants. The officer in front is wearing a blue fabric lanyard with repeating white text on it that reads [U.S. Attorney’s Office]. The officer behind him has a silver tone shield pinned over his left breast and a blurred name tag over his right chest pocket. On the left side of the photograph is a white wall and door with a series of five, tall, rectangular metal kick plates attached to the bottom.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Photographs and Still Images

Black Lives Matter

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2021.81

portraits
digital images
primary digital collection objects (PDCO)

© Heather Wilson
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

digital

H x W: 2723 pixels × 4086 pixels
File size (Total): 31.86 MB

Title • This Ain’t Yo Mama’s Civil Rights Movement

nmaahc_2021.81

NMAAHC

THIS AIN’T YO MAMA’S CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

2010s

Tesfamariam, Rahiel • Hands Up United • Brown, Michael • Wilson, Heather

Saint Louis • United States • North and Central America • Missouri

Justice • Photography • Activism • Police brutality • Black Lives Matter • U.S. History, 2001- • Race relations

City • Saint Louis • State • Missouri • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

primary digital collection objects (PDCO) • Portraits • Photographs

Images

Limited Use