Universal 20th Century Symbols

Though numerous artistic motifs in the collection are unique to the series of posters, some invoke the imagery of political art of other cultures and movements. One such example of this is the symbol of the closed fist. A well-known symbol of Black American liberation movements, the closed fist appears in several posters in the Palestinian Liberation Movement collection. Where Palestinian protest art recalls imagery from other movements to support its cause, those same other movements in turn lend their support. For example, Yale’s James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection, centered on African American life, features several statements of solidarity using imagery borrowed from Palestine. One such statement is a solidarity poster featuring two men, one Syrian and the other Palestinian, both wearing Palestinian keffiyehs. These exchanges of symbols show the united global resistance to oppressive forces in the 20th century and beyond.

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