Vtg Poster Protest Anti Draft War Art Political FREE RALPH ATKINS 70s WSU

Poster is in good condition for age, but has some cosmetic damage / imperfections - please see photos. From WSU archives: On March 13, 1970, Washington State University was the site of an Anti-Draft Week protest. Approximately 275 students participated in a grape boycott march organized by the Three Forks Peace Coalition. The students carried signs and banners, marched from campus down Campus Avenue to the Selective Service draft office. The protest was preceded by a panel discussion that was led by four veterans and two draft resisters. The peaceful protest was disrupted by the police, and the students continued their march into downtown grocery stores where they removed grapes from the shelves and crushed them on the floor to symbolize their opposition to the war. The stores also suffered minimal damage due to the theft, consumption, or damage of beer and wine. One African American student, Ralph Atkins, was arrested and accused of inciting a riot. Atkins was a parade marshal and dressed in a black beret, black leather jacket, and sunglasses. “Obviously I was the perfect choice by the prosecutor to be named the leader,” Atkins wrote in a letter that was later digitized by the WSU Libraries. He was sentenced to six months in jail, which sparked outrage among the student community. Professor Al Crosby, who oversaw Atkins’ defense fund, stated that the charges against Atkins were based on race and that “this is one of the oldest crimes in American History.” The Daily Evergr