Lecture: The Soiling of Old Glory at Fairfield University Art Museum
A powerful moment in American history will be explored during a lecture on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the Fairfield University Art Museum, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.
Historian Louis P. Masur, Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University, will discuss Stanley Forman’s iconic 1976 photograph depicting a Black civil rights activist in Boston being assaulted by a white man wielding a flagpole with the U.S. flag. The photograph, which became widely known as “The Soiling of Old Glory,” was the subject of Masur’s 2008 book of the same title and remains one of the most powerful visual documents of the tensions surrounding race and civil rights in the United States.
The lecture is presented in conjunction with the exhibition For Which It Stands…, which features a print of Forman’s photograph from the Fairfield University Art Museum’s permanent collection. During the talk, Masur will examine the historical context of the image, its lasting cultural impact, and the broader themes it raises about patriotism, protest, and the meaning of national symbols.
The program will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. For additional information and event details, visit the Fairfield University Art Museum website.
