American artist William H. Johnson (1901-1970) made a series of paintings in the mid 1940s called Fighters for Freedom, as a tribute to the lives and accomplishments of dozens of individuals engaged in struggles for emancipation, civil rights, and world peace. From historical figures (Toussaint l'Ouverture, Harriet Tubman) to Johnson's contemporaries (Marian Anderson, Mary McLeod Bethune), the Fighters for Freedom offer new perspectives on well-known names and illuminate hidden stories of lesser-known individuals. 

This collection offers a key to "decoding" the imagery in eight of the Fighters for Freedom paintings. To explore the many people, places, and symbols Johnson included in each painting, open each artwork and click through the annotations on the left side of your screen. 

Teachers, consider how you might use this collection as a jumping-off point for student research. As they explore the collection, what wonderings arise? What surprises them? Which figures or events would they like to learn more about? 

Extension: Invite your students to build on Johnson's series! Who from history would they nominate as Fighters for Freedom since 1945? Today? 

Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from Art Bridges, Faye and Robert Davidson, and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation.

This collection utilizes research conducted by Amanda Kasman, 2020 Summer Conservation Intern (Smithsonian American Art Museum).