Power of the People: Politics, Publishing, and Poetry as Modes of Resistance

Amidst threats of authoritarianism, history provides ample lessons to help contextualize recent events while also modeling strategies of resistance. San Francisco Bay Area activists and writers have historically demonstrated the power of community to assert opposition and manifest direct action against corruption, discrimination, and oppressive policies. This exhibition highlights a selection of objects that demonstrate the power of individuals and communities to inspire these acts of resistance. This revolutionary defiance can take many forms, such as direct political action, independent publishers disseminating manifestoes, and provocative poetry. Drawing from Gleeson Library’s Donohue Rare Book Room collections, the objects on display attest to the ongoing fights for civil rights, workers rights, and social justice, and the intersecting work of political activists, poets, and publishers over the past century. We present this exhibition to inspire the greater USF community and beyond to continue the legacy of the Bay Area activists who have come before us. We hope to empower viewers to resist hopelessness, act out, and speak up in the name of their own strong personal convictions. 

The Spring 2025 exhibition in the Donohue Rare Book Room is curated by ART 200: Museum Studies students.

The Donohue Rare Book Room is open Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. View all Special Collections & University Archives hours.