BLACK LIBERTY

Liberty was never colorless. She was stripped.

“Alex Bland’s Liberty is a mindful meditation on race, identity and history, set to create a thought-provoking response to the African American struggle. Set to the sound of Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit, the film reveals the hidden history of the Statue of Liberty — which, as the filmmaker’s research reveals, might have looked very different.” — Nilgin Yusuf, Author & Journalist

Black Liberty reimagines one of the world’s most recognisable monuments — not as a symbol of untroubled freedom, but as a reflection of forgotten struggles and erased histories. Inspired by early designs and alternative narratives surrounding the Statue of Liberty’s creation, Black Liberty asks: What if Liberty had been modelled on those she was supposed to free? Shot in stark monochrome and set to the searing protest of Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit, the work reclaims Liberty’s image as both a beacon of hope and an indictment of buried truths.

First exhibited in Times Square in 2012, She has since been embraced by the descendants of Frederick Douglass to promote abolitionist and anti-racism initiatives. It was recently chosen by acclaimed author T. Bruce as the cover image for her latest works — a testament to its enduring emotional and political resonance.

Black Liberty is not-for-profit.

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