Where art and politics meet

From the outside, the Center for Documentary Studies has the appearance of an old, comfortable Southern home. The white-washed exterior and big wooden porch, though reached only after a trek from East Campus, are welcoming to any visitor who wishes to venture into the center.

The current feature of the center, “Oh Freedom Over Me,” has been on display to the public since August 16th and will be running until November 7th. The exhibition documents the “Freedom Summer”—a slice of 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement when mostly white, middle-class youth from across the country came to the South to fight for their fellow Americans. Recognition of the importance of the voting privilege was the essence of both the volunteer movement and the Freedom Summer. During this time, Matt Herron organized a team of photographers to document history being made as the men traveled around Mississippi and photographed the young volunteers who came to aid local residents and help with voting registration.

Though the exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies is small, what it lacks in quantity, it definitely manages to make up in quality. The bulk of the exhibition is housed in a single, yet open room with adequate space and lighting. The collection of “Oh Freedom Over Me” consists of multiple parts: the most prominent is the assortment of banners of prints that hang at different areas in the room. The exhibit also includes a set of more conventional photographic prints, which line one of the sides of the room, an audio-track of freedom songs that provide a dynamic accompaniment to the artwork and a lone television that shows footage of Freedom Summer volunteers.

With a handout that one can pick up before entering the room, it is easy to navigate through the collection while reading the accompanying captions. Herron and his team make the exhibit a success by focusing on a single summer of the Civil Rights era instead of attempting to capture the entire movement. The exhibit’s ability to capture a specific window of time makes it easier for people to connect on a more intimate level.

Due to the upcoming national election, the exhibit is particularly relevant. Such perfect timing was certainly not by chance: exhibition director Courtney Reid-Eaton planned the exhibit to run up until Election Day. The message that the exhibit sends to its viewers is strong and clear: there is no better way for people today to honor the work of the Freedom Summer volunteers than by voting. In hope of inspiring viewers to vote, the center also offers a multitude of resources for current voter registration in a room adjacent to the exhibit. This is clear: the Center for Documentary Studies does not intend for the exhibit to play the single role of a gallery; other follow up events included an Oct. 5 film screening and a panel discussion to be held Oct. 19th to discuss the struggle for voting rights.