The People Shall Govern!

The bold slogans inscribed across this poster quote from the Freedom Charter of the African National Congress (ANC). This document outlined the core principles for creating an equitable post-apartheid society. The imagery is drawn from a photograph by Eli Weinberg of the public gathering at which the charter was formally ratified in 1955. The ANC drafted the charter by dispatching fifty thousand volunteers across townships (racially segregated urban areas) to interview people about what changes would be necessary to realize such a society. They synthesized these thousands of demands into 10 key points, foremost among them “The People Shall Govern!”