Visitors at the exhibition City of Hope: Gandhi, King, and the 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign, at Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram, in Chennai on Monday.
| Photo Credit: R. Ravindran
Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi launched ‘City of Hope: Gandhi, King, and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign’ at the Anna Centenary Library on Monday.
The U.S. Consulate General Chennai organised the exhibition in collaboration with the Meridian International Centre and ReReeti Foundation as part of the 2025 Chennai Photo Biennale. The exhibition showcases Mahatma Gandhi’s influence on civil rights in the United States and impact on Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for economic justice and human rights.
“This exhibition, ‘The City of Hope’ needs to be more than just history. It should make us think and act,” said Mr. Anbil Mahesh on the occasion, adding that he wants Gandhiji’s and King’s message to be carried forward to future generations. He added, “Today’s young people- Gen Z and those coming after them, the alpha and beta, shall live in a very different world than these leaders knew, but the fight for fairness remains the same.”
Guest of Honour Aaron Bryant, museum curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, first started research on the ‘Poor People’s Campaign’ in 2008. He spoke about how King recognised the influence of Gandhiji’s principles, which informed King’s philosophies on human rights throughout his life and career. Mr. Bryant further said that he was honoured to bring the ‘City of Hope’ exhibition to India where he hopes everyone, and primarily students, would visit the exhibition.
The exhibition also features the corrugated boxes to display the posters. “It is to show the audience that the campaign was born from the struggles of those living in scarcity, and corrugated boxes were chosen to honour this spirit,” said Tejshvi Jain, founder of Rereeti revitalising museums.
The exhibition will be open in Chennai until January 30 and will be held in different cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Kolkata. Jeanne Brigant from the U.S.Consulate General Chennai also spoke.
Published – January 20, 2025 09:20 pm IST
