Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Brian Lanker spent over two years interviewing and photographing remarkable Black women who profoundly influenced 20th-century American culture. He completed a series of 75 portraits which were assembled in a book published in 1989 and an exhibition, both titled I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America. The photographs picture women including Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Althea Gibson, Lena Horne, Ruby Dee, Coretta Scott King, Oprah Winfrey, and Septima Poinsette Clark.

The Mulvane Art Museum presented I Dream a World in February 2020, but public access to the exhibition was largely obstructed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This important collection of portraits is being restaged now in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Mulvane Art Museum. The exhibition’s themes of activism, moral conviction, and perseverance feel more relevant than ever, particularly as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. I Dream a World invites you to honor the Black women who have paved the way for social equality, both before and after Brown v. Board.

Dates: May 16 - July 8, 2024

Location: Main Level Galleries