"Being Seen Listening: Photography, Pan-Africanism, and the Public Square"

Photographs documenting sixties-era struggles across Africa and the African diaspora reveal how individuals and communities entered political life by gathering in public squares to listen to state authorities, dissidents, and one another. Byrd’s talk considers how contemporary artists elaborate and reactivate forms of assembly and mediated presence, underscoring the decade’s continued relevance and impact on recent social and political upheavals.