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As America approaches its 250th anniversary, American Progression faces divisions in our country head on: white supremacy, the legacy of slavery, hatred of immigrants. And yet, so many Americans still find community and focus on hope for the future.
Specifications - Edition of 12
Book - 12.25” x 4.25” x .5” Book - 12 pages, end papers; double-sided accordion; Stonehenge Polar White
Covers - Pochoir on paper over board; in slipcase with mylar insert
Illustrations - Six panels; oil based inks over flood coats
Printing - Pochoir using 50 stencils; letterpress printed from polymer plates
Thomas Parker Williams - Concept, design, illustrations, pochior, printing, binding.
Mary Agnes Williams - Original text, text layout, printing
In 1950, 89.5% of Americans identified as white . . . By 2050, whites will be a minority (47%) . . . Many on the right bitterly resent losing privilege and power . . .
. . . They remember the easy days before civil rights . . . When an ordinary white man was always better and smarter . . . When the sheriff looked the other way . . .
. . . Desperate to hold on, they search for a leader who will raise them up again, a savior who will take control and lead them back to the white promised land.
For hundreds of years African slaves were submerged in American soil: endless brutality in endless fields of cotton, rice, tobacco, sugar cane . . . We shall rise . . .
. . . Unlike Africans, Latino families have been desperate to escape their homes for a better, safer place, risking everything to migrate north . . . We must walk . . .
. . . Poverty, injustice and hate are realities in America . . . Despite it all, people still find joy and see hope for the future . . . Black, brown, white . . . We can dance!