I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970 Opens at Branigan Cultural Center

The Branigan Cultural Center is pleased to announce a new exhibit, I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970, which documents the evolution of the civil rights movement during a period of profound social change and hope for the future. The exhibition opens Tuesday, September 2, and runs through Saturday, October 18, 2025 in the Shannon Room.

The decade from 1960 through 1970 was a momentous time for the civil rights movement in the American South, as public spaces were desegregated and as African Americans secured their right to vote. Featuring a wide range of photographs taken by amateurs, local photojournalists, and internationally known photographers, the exhibition tells a vivid visual story which sheds light on the movement’s integration into daily life in the South. The photographs continue to resonate today and beyond as future generations continue to fight for justice for all humankind.

In assembling the exhibition, Southern folklorist, author, and curator William Ferris and his research team sought out photos taken by local activists and news photographers, who documented the history taking place before their eyes. Viewers of the exhibition will recognize photographs of protestors who carried signs with messages like “I Am a Man,” or who sat at segregated lunch counters as iconic images associated with the movement. Many of the photographs have rarely been seen until now.

The exhibition is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts. It has been adapted from an exhibition originally produced for the Pavillion Populaire in Montpellier, France, by the Center for Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The French exhibition was funded by the City of Montpellier and administered by Gilles Mora, director of the Pavillion Populaire.

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main Street and is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. There is no admission charge. The museum is accessible from RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1 Stop 1.

For additional information, visit the website at clcstaging.lascruces.gov/museums or call (575) 541-2154/TTY 711.