Louisville Civil Rights Tour Book

The Louisville Speed Art Museum featured the 2021 exhibition “Promise, Witness, Remembrance was organized by the Speed Art Museum to reflect on the life of Taylor, her killing, and the year of protests that followed, in Louisville and around the world. The exhibition explored the dualities between a personal, local story and the nation’s reflection on the promise, witness, and remembrance of too many Black lives lost to gun violence. It was a groundbreaking exhibition as American museums have been forced to consider how they might address anti-Black violence and center marginalized voices, especially in their collecting, exhibitionary, and outreach practices. The focal point of the exhibit was Amy Sherald’s portrait of Taylor, looking regal in a bright blue dress, standing with hand on hip, forever 26 and beautiful. The painting, which is owned jointly by the Speed Museum and the Smithsonian, then traveled to other institutions. For a return to the museum in 2023, the Speed organized a new exhibit, In the Garden. Surrounding the Taylor portrait is “Homecoming” a work in spray paint directly on the museum walls. It was created by Braylyn “Resko” Stewart and Sara Noori. The walls are covered in butterflies and floral imagery to compliment the portrait and symbolize Taylor’s spirit. Raphaela Platow, director of the Speed believes “In the Garden” explores themes of loss, grief and injustice — but also hope. The Louisville Civil Rights Tour Book captures these feelings of loss, grief and injustice through the use of texture, illustration and photography to emulate protest posters while remaining informative. This self-guided tour book takes the reader gently through the important landmarks and makes them feel like a part of history. Then Book ends with an excerpt on the Breonna Taylor painting and exhibition, this full color spread ends the book on a hopeful note that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.