Virtual Lecture: The Soiling of Old Glory

A virtual lecture examining one of the most powerful photographs in American history will take place on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 5:30 am to 6:30 am. Presented by the Fairfield University Art Museum, the online program will feature historian Louis P. Masur, Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University.

Masur will discuss Stanley Forman’s widely recognized 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 image, known as “The Soiling of Old Glory,” became an enduring visual symbol of racial tensions during the era of school desegregation and civil rights protests. Masur explored the story behind the photograph in his 2008 book of the same title.

The lecture is presented in connection with the exhibition For Which It Stands…, which includes a print of Forman’s photograph from the Fairfield University Art Museum’s permanent collection. The talk will explore the photograph’s historical context, the circumstances surrounding its creation, and its lasting cultural significance.

For more information and access to the virtual event, visit the Fairfield University Art Museum’s website.