Today, the Human Rights Campaign announced that All Power to All People — a traveling public art exhibition by acclaimed conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas — is now on view at HRC’s D.C. headquarters at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW. The installation will tour multiple locations across the United States leading up to the U.S. presidential election in November 2020 to maintain the momentum of the ongoing protests for racial equity and offer a platform for civic leaders and activists. It will be exhibited at HRC from August 14 to August 28. The closing weekend of the exhibit coincides with this year’s anniversary march celebrating the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Presented by Kindred Arts, All Power to All People is a provocative work, combining the Afro pick and the Black Power salute, two potent symbols of Black identity and social justice. At approximately 28 feet tall, the work stands as a symbol of community, strength, perseverance, comradeship, justice and belonging that aims to inspire action and demand social change.

The original 8-foot iteration of the sculpture was commissioned by Philadelphia’s Monument Lab. Replicated on a monumental scale, this public art work has been exhibited in New York City, Miami, at Burning Man and most recently in Atlanta to critical and widespread acclaim. The exhibit will offer audio companions, wellness programs and live broadcasts, all of which collectively explore the importance of symbols, the genealogy of the artifact and power in all of its forms -- from collective and political to personal and, of course, cultural power. All Power to All People will provide a platform for the leaders and orators of this historical movement and a place for inclined citizens to participate, be affirmed and become informed.

HRC has previously partnered with Hank Willis Thomas and For Freedoms on an art installation, also at HRC’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, titled “All Li es Matter.” The provocative work by Thomas, which continues to be installed at the HRC building, edits the dismissive phrase “All Lives Matter” that is used to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement. By removing one letter from the phrase, Thomas creates an entirely different and counter poignancy, tackling centuries of lies and misrepresentations of Black people in America.

Anyone local to D.C. can visit the exhibit on foot or by bike, and it can also be experienced virtually. More information can be found at www.AllPowertoAllPeople.org.