The Passbook Must Burn

Today, Kendall, Sue and I visited the Portland Art Museum to view the Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal exhibit. Thomas is a multi-media artist and his works showcased quilts, bronzes, videos, and photographs. 

His work featured in this blip titled, "Die Dompas Moet Brand" (The Passbook Must Burn) refers to the passbook law that required that Black South Africans carry an identity passbook with them at all times.

The information that accompanied this artwork stated that more than 15 million Black South Africans were arrested for passbook violations between 1952 and 1986 when the law was repealed. 

These books controlled travel inside the country and dictated where Black people could work, whereas white residents lived and worked freely. One of the ways that Black South Africans protested apartheid was to burn these books that were commonly referred to as dompas (dumb pass).

The extra features Thomas's take on Mastercard's "Priceless" Ad Campaign.