“Almighty Dollar”

November 22, 2017

I was at an art exhibit in Chicago recently and these pieces from 1972 and 1973 caught my eye.

Description: The pieces…

“subvert the authority of the US dollar by swapping out its patriotic images and slogans for others they feel more accurately capture the American spirit: the national motto is replaced with “In Evil We Trust”, the Lincoln Memorial from the five-dollar bill barely visible under what is apparently a pile of excrement, and a bloated Nixon takes Ben Franklin’s Place.”

Here’s the full description with credit to the artists

“In $ we trust”. Check out the back of the dollar below. Notice how the few at the top are being held up by the many below…

Art as social commentary. Art is social commentary.

Ubuntu,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins-Jones

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Relando Thompkins-Jones

I'm a macro social worker, social justice educator, and consultant who uses media and education to advance equity and social justice within people, organizations, and communities. I am also the Founder, Host, Editor and Producer of Social Justice Origin Stories, a storytelling project that highlights the personal stories and defining moments that have inspired individuals and organizations to labor for equity and social justice. I started Social Justice Origin Stories because I believe in the power of storytelling and making our experiences accessible to others, because I believe in the liberatory effects of social justice education, to support justice-seekers in finding community and feeling less alone given the relentlessness of oppressive systems, and hopefully to be a resource of support and reflection for those who are thinking through how they could best contribute to the work. We need all who can, to do what they can.