Images
Martin Puryear, Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996
Objectives
Students will understand that the history of civil rights is both long and complex, with ideas intertwining, growing and becoming increasingly powerful over time.
Focusing Statement
Today we are continuing our study of the history of civil rights in America. Having read Frederick Douglass’s Narrative, we are now going to look at Martin Puryear’s work Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996.
Background Information
Students will have read The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by himself and will understand the value of literacy and education to Douglass before they see this installation. Douglass describes being tortured by learning to read as “reading informed me about the pit of slavery, but provided no ladder by which to climb out.” Literacy, obtained illegally by Douglass, was his window to freedom as it showed him that freedom was a possibility for him, but at the same time, his getting that freedom was not in the reading; he had to do that himself. Students will read excerpts from Booker T. Washington’s biography Up From Slavery and will contrast Washington’s beliefs on the role of education for African-Americans with those of his contemporary W.E.B. DuBois.
Puryear’s work of art provides an image of a ladder, but a tenuous one. Students will have the opportunity to examine what about 1996, gives the artist the impetus for this ladder, 140 years after Washington’s birth year, about one hundred and fifty years after Douglass published his narrative.
Examining Expressive Content
- What do you see when you first look at this piece?
- Do you see anything different when you look closely at the installation?
- Is there anything in this installation that makes you think about Frederick Douglass?
- Watch the section on Martin Puryear in the PBS video Time. How do you see this art installation after seeing this video? What does the video add to your experience as a viewer?