Steve Schapiro
American, 1934–2022
We Shall Overcome, Oxford, Ohio, June 1964, 1964
Silver gelatin print, Number 3 of an edition of 25, 19 11/16 x 23 5/8 inches
Partial Gift of Stephen Schapiro and Miami University Art Museum purchase with contributions from the Kezur Endowment Fund
2019.23.1
Training for Freedom Summer began in Oxford, OH, on June 13, 1964, on the campus of the Western College for Women. Singing songs that captured the spirit of the struggle for civil rights – songs like “Wade in the Water,” “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around,” and “We Shall Overcome” were daily traditions. Following their week of training, volunteers boarded buses that would take them to Mississippi to advocate for the rights of Black Americans by helping to register voters and setting up Freedom Schools and Community Centers. Before departing, a group of volunteers gathered by a bus in front of Clawson Hall to sing “We Shall Overcome,” traditionally linking arms and holding hands with the singing of the song.