| Item Description: | In the background is a faint image of Bobby Seale strapped to electric chair drawn by Emory Douglas.
The image in this poster refers to the controversial Chicago Seven Trial which began in September 1969. Eight men were charged with inciting anti-Vietnam War riots and conspiring against the U.S. government. Bobby Seale, Chairman of the Black Panther Party, was among the initial defendants. The trial commanded the attention of the nation, especially once the public learned that Seale was held bound and gagged in the court room. This cruel treatment led the Panther Party to publish their manifesto [several versions exist] accompanied by the startling illustration of Seale in an electric chair. In November 1969 Seale's case was declared a mistrial and was severed from the rest (the Chicago Eight became the Chicago Seven) and he was extradited to Connecticut in March 1970 to face charges of conspiracy to murder a suspected police informant. |
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