BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Ford's Theatre NHS (Center for Education and Leadership) -- Exhibit: Not Alone: The Power of Response

DC -- Ford's Theatre NHS (Center for Education and Leadership) -- Exhibit: Not Alone: The Power of Response:

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Description of Pictures: Not Alone: The Power of Response

Letters of Support to the Parents of Matthew Shepard Following his Murder
September 10–November 3, 2013

After midnight on October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay college student living in Laramie, Wyoming, was abducted, tied to a fence, beaten and left to die on the outskirts of town by two assailants. He died five days later with his family by his side. His murder claimed national and international attention and has become one of the most widely known anti-gay hate crimes in American history.

Following Matthew’s attack, complete strangers from all over the world, moved by the horrific circumstances of Matthew’s death, reached out to Judy and Dennis Shepard to share their condolences, outrage, grief, love and support. Many people sent money, wanting to help fight for change or to combat the hateful actions of others. The Shepards used these contributions to start the Matthew Shepard Foundation whose mission is to “Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion and Acceptance."

Not Alone: The Power of Response pairs artist Jeff Sheng’s Where Matthew Lay Dying, a hauntingly beautiful composite photograph of the fence outside Laramie—taken from Matthew’s perspective—with a selection of the letters sent to the Shepard family in order to explore the themes of empathy, community response and personal responsibility.

Special exhibitions are included as part of regular daytime visit tickets to Ford’s Theatre.

This exhibition is shown in conjunction with The Lincoln Legacy Project production of The Laramie Project, a deeply complex portrait of a community’s response to the 1998 hate-crime murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student living in Laramie, Wyoming. Learn more about the issues presented in this exhibit.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. ALONE_130930_003.JPG: Not Alone: The Power of Response Letters of Support to the Parents of Matthew Shepard Following his Murder After midnight on October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence, beaten and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Eighteen hours later, a mountain biker found Matthew, unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. In interviews, Matthew's assailants, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, admitted that they targetted Matthew for robbery because he seemed an easy mark -- "He was obviously gay. That played a part... his weakness. His frailty. And he was dressed nice. Looked like he had money." But McKinney's attempt to use the "gay panic" defense in court seemed to indicate that they beat him to the point of death only because he was gay. Matthew died five days later with his family by his side. His memorial service garnered media attention that brought his story to the forefront of the fight against bigotry. Making Sense of a Senseless Crime: Following Matthew's attack, his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard, received thousands of cards and letters. Complete strangers reached out to share condolences, outrage, grief, love and support. Many sent money, wanting to help with medical expenses or to combat the hateful actions of others. Not Alone: The Power of Response demonstrates that beauty and kindness exist even in the midst of hate and tragedy, and that as a people, we share more commonalities than differences. Despite divisions, our nation still stands for the founding principles in which Abraham Lincoln believed; equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
2. ALONE_130930_010.JPG: Where Matthew Lay Dying (Laramie, Wyoming), 2007 Artist Jeff Sheng photographed this panorama in 2007. He located the spot where Matthew Shepard was likely tied, taking hundreds of images from Matthew's point of view. Sheng writes, "I intended to include both a vast snowscape to convey an extreme sense of coldness and emptiness -- that of the motivation of the killers, but I also wanted bright sunlight, as a gesture towards hope and illumination..."
3. ALONE_130930_031.JPG: Bigot-O-Thon: When Fred Phelps and members of the Westboro Baptist Church announced their plans to protest Matthew Shepard's funeral, Jai Noire proposed the "Bigot-O-Thon" to counter that church's hateful actions and to raise more money for the Matthew Shepard Memorial Fund. People were encouraged to choose a monetary amount per demonstrator and send in donations based on the number of protesters that came to the funeral.
4. ALONE_130930_033.JPG: Locations of Vigils for Matthew Shepard: In the wake of Matthew Shepard's attack, people held candlelight vigils in numerous cities and towns across the country. These are just some.
5. ALONE_130930_037.JPG: Speak Up, Speak Out: We all need other people. When terrible acts occur, human beings can band together for support and comfort. Together we celebrate, together we protest, and together we mourn. In the wake of Matthew Shepard's death, thousands of people from all over the world sent their condolences and personal stories to Judy and Dennis Shepard.
6. ALONE_130930_044.JPG: How can you make a positive difference out of a negative situation? What can you do to erase hate and fight prejudice in your community? Tweet #NotAloneExhibit with your response
7. ALONE_130930_047.JPG: Some things you must always be unable to bear. Injustice and outrage and dishonor and shame. No matter how young you are or how old you have got. Not for kudos and not for cash. Your picture in the paper nor money in the bank, neither. Just refuse to bear them.
8. ALONE_130930_052.JPG: Embracing Empathy "This could be my town. Laramie is just like my town." -- George Pierotti, The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later Through empathy, we can discover a world outside ourselves. It means stepping into someone else's shoes to understand what it feels like to be that person.
9. ALONE_130930_056.JPG: Etta Hulme editorial cartoon
10. ALONE_130930_061.JPG: Matthew Shepard Neither fire, nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds. From the teachings of Buddha.
11. ALONE_130930_074.JPG: How can we teach empathy? Were you ever bullied? What would you say if you could confront your bully? Did you ever bully somebody? What would you like to say to them now? Tweet #NotAloneExhibit with your response.
12. ALONE_130930_077.JPG: I keep saying... That could have been me! That could have been me! But really... That was me. He was me. He was all of us. I send you my love, my sorrow, my strength and my anger. Good will come of this! Hate crimes act will pass. There will be a backlash against hate. Love + Peace, Paul Thoemke
13. ALONE_130930_083.JPG: President Bill Clinton: Just hours after the death of Matthew Shepard, President Bill Clinton spoke to reporters and the nation on the South Lawn of the White House where he stated, "Crimes of hate and crimes of violence cannot be tolerated in our country. In our shock and grief, one thing must remain clear: hate and prejudice are not American values."
14. ALONE_130930_092.JPG: Senators Michael Enzi and Craig Thomas: United States Senators Michael Enzi and Craig Thomas of Wyoming co-sponsored a resolution, which passed, condemning the murder of Matthew Shepard. The resolution pledges that the Senate will "do everything in its power to fight the sort of prejudice and intolerance that leads to the murder of innocent people."
15. ALONE_130930_099.JPG: Who was Matthew Shepard? Matt's sexual identity was only a part of who he was. He also: * Was a son, brother, friend, neighbor and student * Loved the theater, politics and skiing * Enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping with his family * Liked to travel * Was elected to be a peer counselor in high schools in the US and Europe * Was a negotiator and peacekeeper who stepped in to stop fights * Made friends easily and actively fought for the equality and acceptance of all people
16. ALONE_130930_160.JPG: Coretta Scott King: Coretta Scott King was the widow of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. After her husband's 1968 assassination and up until her death in 2006, Mrs. King championed civil rights, women's rights, and LGBT rights. Quoting her husband, she said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
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