Hours
Tue–Fri, 12:00–5:00 pm
Sat–Sun, 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Closed Mondays 

Free on-site parking

Skirball Cultural Center

See more than 150 photos taken by Movement insiders that reveal the vital work undertaken by a broad coalition of organizers and everyday people whose collective action changed America.

Plan Your Visit

Admission

BUY/RESERVE NOW

Prices vary: $13–18  
FREE to Members and Children under 2  
FREE to all on Thursdays 

Includes general admission

Tickets through October 31 are now available. November tickets will be released on Thursday, October 5.

About the Exhibition

Find hope in our capacity for collective action. This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement showcases more than 150 photographs that reveal the vital work undertaken by a broad coalition of young organizers and everyday people who fashioned a movement that changed America.   

The exhibition highlights the work of nine photographers primarily affiliated with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s: Bob Adelman, George “Elfie” Ballis, Bob Fitch, Bob Fletcher, Matt Herron, David Prince, Herbert Randall, Maria Varela, and Tamio Wakayama.

Unlike photojournalists who only reported on breaking news events from an outsider’s perspective, these nine photographers—of different ethnic, racial, religious, and geographic backgrounds—lived within the Movement and documented its activities by focusing on local people and socially-engaged students to portray community life as well as protest. 

In addition to the photographs, the exhibition will include audio recordings of the photographers recalling their time in the Movement, as well as protest music, posters, newspapers, and informational booklets from the 1960s. These objects featured SNCC photographs, revealing how the organization used photography to raise awareness of their activism. The final section of the Skirball’s presentation highlights the enduring fight for voting rights taking place in Los Angeles and across the country, offering a way forward as our society continues to grapple with anti-Black violence and broad discrimination and disenfranchisement. 

Curatorial Acknowledgments

For the exhibition's presentation at the Skirball Cultural Center, Associate Curator and Collections Specialist Alissa Schapiro served as managing curator. Sarah Daymude and Natalie Riddick provided curatorial assistance. 

This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement is presented by the Center for Documentary Expression and Art and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. 

Content Warning

Please be aware that some of the photographs in this exhibition contain disturbing images of violence, including police brutality and anti-Black hate speech. 

On Sale Now

Cover of the book, "This Light of Ours"

This Light of Ours. Hardcover. 251 Pages. 

Purchase the corresponding book, This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement, now available online or onsite at Audrey's Museum Store

Images are grouped around four movement themes and convey the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's organizing strategies, resolve in the face of violence, impact on local and national politics, and influence on the nation's consciousness.

SHOP NOW

 

Donor Support

This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement and its related educational programs at the Skirball Cultural Center are made possible by generous support from the following donors:

Margaret Black and John Ptak   
Stephanie and Harold Bronson   
Nancy Sher Cohen and Robert Neil Cohen (z”l)
Steve Tisch Family Foundation

With additional support from:

Christine and Patrick O’Donnell

Mother holding young daughter dancing and smiling outside during a festival

Join the Skirball

Promote justice and build community while enjoying FREE admission, exclusive programs, and more. 

Become a Member