Design Concept:

 

The names on these costumes belong to the over 4,000 murder victims who lost their lives due to lynching. This design is to honor and memorialize those victims. The additional hand painted imagery serves as a visual reinforcement of specific lyrics in Strange Fruit. It was inspired by the visual story telling through symbols found in Adinkra, traditionally used in modern funeral cloth in Ghana. Each of the various time periods silhouetted in the costumes is based on specific moments in time during the civil rights struggle. The earliest costume is based in 1835 which is the first recorded lynching. The following costumes move through the years to the fashion of today, emphasizing that the struggle isn’t over yet. 

 

This design is dedicated to all those listed only as Unknown.