A piece of political art I find to be highly interesting is Faith Ringgold’s 1972 poster United States of Attica. Her poster displays a map of the United States divided into four pieces which is dedicated to the prisoners who rioted at Attica Prison in 1971 in protest of the profoundly inhumane conditions at Attica and the prison industrial complex as it stood—and stands. Ringgold’s map is also variously labeled with a wide range of atrocities (and their death tolls) committed by the United States government throughout history, including the My Lai massacre, the Korean War, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki among other things. Every state is additionally labeled with acts of violence committed against marginalized communities, such as lynchings. Her intention with this piece of art was to highlight the violence that the United States was built upon and the cruelty that it continues to dole out today. It was profound in the wake of the Attica riots and it remains profound today, especially when taking into account acts that the American government has been responsible for, such as destabilization of the Middle East and incidents of police brutality. Ringgold addresses the timeless nature of her piece with an addendum on the bottom which reads, “This map of American violence is incomplete – please write in whatever you find lacking.” Her poster still resonates today as Americans hear about senseless violence our country is responsible for every day we read the news or turn on the television.

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