Poster for a 1966 Appearance in France

Poster for a March 28, 1966 appearance by the Civil Rights leader together with singer Harry Belafonte at the Palais des Sports in Paris. Organized by the Comité de Soutien Franco-Américain pour l'Intégration Raciale, the event featured a speech by King and music from Harry Belafonte and French singer Hugues Aufray, sponsored by Suze Liqueur. Two-color poster, with folding creases, one tear to the right edge, minimal wear and toning; overall very good. Sight size 14.5 x 22.5 inches (37 x 57 cm), archivally matted and framed to an overall size of 20.5 x 26.5 inches.

In March 1966, King and Belafonte went to Europe for fundraising appearances on behalf of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, starting with the Palais des Sports in Paris on the 28th, and closing in Sweden on the 31st. This poster for the French appearance is emblazoned with the logo of a sponsor, Suze Liqueur, and also cites the French-American Committee for Racial Integration as the organizing body. The opening act for the evening was the popular French folksinger Hugues Aufray doing a set of Bob Dylan covers, followed by a set by Belafonte. Dr. King closed out the evening with a speech on civil rights, touching on the war in Vietnam and American support for South African apartheid. The tour raised more than $100,000, but drew the wrath of the American ambassador to France for airing American problems overseas. See Ross, Hollywood Left and Right, p. 220. We have traced no other copies of this poster at auction or elsewhere. (17914)

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