Political Posters

The “All Of Us Or None” (AOUON) archive project was started by Free Speech Movement activist Michael Rossman in 1977 to gather and document posters of modern progressive movements in the United States. Though some early works are included, its focus is on the domestic political poster renaissance that began in 1965 and continues to this day. When Rossman died May 12, 2008 his family donated the collection to the Oakland Museum of California. More …

The Archive gathered posters from all streams of progressive activity — from movements of protest, liberation, and affirmative action, trade union and community struggles, to electoral and environmental organizing, community services, and visionary manifestos. It is strongest in work from the San Francisco Bay Area, but its scope is national: approximately one-quarter of its holdings come from out of state, primarily New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. These are complemented by a representation of international work. The collection consists of approximately 24,500 distinct titles.

The collection includes examples from well-known graphic artists including Malaquías Montoya, Emory Douglas, Rachael Romero, Rupert Garcia, Yolanda Lopez, Favianna Rodriguez, Carlos Cortez, Nancy Hom, Juan Fuentes, and Jos Sances, as well as material from seminal collective workshops such as La Raza Silkscreen, the Royal Chicano Air Force, Japantown Art and Media, Kearny Street Workshop, and Inkworks Press. Perhaps more important, the depth and breadth of the collection reveals the contribution of numerous lesser known or even anonymous artists whose cumulative impact on this democratic public art form has yet to be properly understood.

The cataloging of the AOUON Archive was made possible by a generous grant from the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation.

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Berkeley Juneteenth Festival 1998 Poster has a red background with an orange guitar and a black border. At the top is a green circle with a black graphic of Africa at the center. Over the top of the circle is "Berkeley" and below...	brownstones and moonlight Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster has a black background and an illustration of a group of people playing musical instruments against a pink, blue, orange, and yellow background. "brownstones and moonlight / A...
Congolese Dance & Drum Workshop 1995 This poster advertises a "Congolese / Dance / & Drum / Workshop". There is an orange box in the center of the page with this text in white and a drum in the center. "Come Join Us At African...	Juneteenth 1986 This poster printed on thick, white paper, promotes the "5th Annual / Juneteenth / To Celebrate the Spirit of Unity, / Harmony, Strength and Family". There is an illustration of a woman wearing an...
Juneteenth 1997 This horizontally-oriented poster features a purple and pink image of a woman''s face wearing yellow sunglasses with photographs of people in their lenses. Yellow text at the bottom of the poster...	Berkeley African Students Association 2005 This glossy, horizontally-oriented poster includes an illustration of people dancing and playing instruments across the center of the page. Yellow and brown text above it reads "Berkeley African...
Oakland Juneteenth Celebration '90 1990 This poster advertises the "Oakland / Juneteenth / Celebration ''90". That white text appears in a turquoise and pink rectangle at the top of the page. Four boxes below are yellow, turquoise, pink...	Big Time Buck White Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster promotes "The Beautiful Black Musical / Starring Big Black" titled "Big / Time / Buck / White". The title is printed to the left of an image of a man with an afro holding one arm over...
Untitled Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster has a black background with a white-outlined illustration of six naked men and women holding hands and running in a circle. The poster promotes "Lorraine Hansberry''s / ''To Be Young,...	Three Black And Four White / Refined Jubilee Minstrels Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster features a black and white image of two men in top hats playing the saxophone. There is a red design behind them and text at the top of the page reads "L.O. Sloan''s / Three Black And...
Marcus Book Stores Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster is made up of a black and white illustration of Marcus Garvey in a military uniform and feathered helmet. "Marcus Book Stores / Books about Black People Everywhere" is below. There are...	And Our Eyes Were Watching 2005 This poster has a black background is an image of part of a face with eyes, eyebrows, and part of the nose visible. "June Jordan''s Poetry For The People / The Department of African American...
Black History Is World History 1983 This poster printed on thick, light pink paper is titled "Black History Is World History" in a black rectangle framed by two statues at the top of the page. There are two columns of a poem with 4...	Alice Walker 2006 This horizontally-oriented poster advertises "Alice / Walker / In Conversation With Democracy Now! Host / Amy / Goodman." Both names are in large, yellow text. There is a photograph of Walker with...
Dreamgirls Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster includes an illustration of a woman in a pink dress leaning her head back and holding a microphone to her mouth. There are two other women dancing in the background along with men on...	June Jordan's Poetry for the People Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster features an illustration of a military tank with a red drop coming out of its gun barrel. The background of the page is green and text at the top reads "June Jordan''s / Poetry for the...
Black Thoughts... 1979-1980 This poster features a black and white photograph of a seated baby girl with "Black Thoughts	Marcus Book Stores 1989 This is a small, white paper bag from "Marcus Book Stores". There is an illustration of Marcus Garvey wearing a military uniform including a helmet with green, red, and white feathers. "Books By...
In Honor Of The African American Man 1990 This black, white, and gray poster is titled "In Honor Of The / African American Man". There is an illustration of a man smoking a pipe with a girl sitting on his knee in the top half of the page...	Miles Davis 1992 This poster is made up of a photograph of Miles Davis playing a trumpet on the right 2/3 of the page and a calendar for 1992 in a column along the left edge. The photo is covered with tiny white...
Mahalia Jackson Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster features an illustration of an African American woman in a blue robe. Her hands are folded in front of her chest and she is visible from the waist up. There are stained glass windows...	Women of the Blues c.1980 This horizontally-oriented poster is made up of illustrations of four women''s faces in a row. Their names are below and include "Bessie Smith" and "Alberta Hunter". "Women of the Blues" is in the...
The Wiz c.1974 This poster includes a silhouette of a woman with long, stylized hair walking on top of the title "The Wiz" in the top 2/3 of the page. "A Jefferson Performing Arts Production" is below that with...	Sisters Inkworks Press, printer Late 20th Early 21st Century This poster promotes a play called "Sisters / by Marsha A. Jackson" from the "Oakland Ensemble Theatre". There is a black and white photograph of two women''s faces directed at each other in the...