Am I not a man and a brother?

10 months ago

The Wedgwood anti-slavery medallion was created in 1787 by Josiah Wedgwood as a symbol for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
The medallion features a kneeling black man in chains with the inscription 'Am I not a man and a brother?'
Designed by Henry Webber and William Hackwood, the medallion was widely distributed in Britain and the U.S., becoming a fashionable symbol of the abolition movement.
The kneeling pose and raised hands of the enslaved man symbolize supplication and Christian appeal, though contemporary critiques highlight its portrayal of submissiveness.
Wedgwood financed the production and distribution, with medallions used on items like snuff boxes, bracelets, and hair pins.
A female version of the medallion appeared in 1828 with the phrase 'Am I not a woman and a sister.'
The medallion influenced later movements, including the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike where posters read 'I AM A MAN.'
Paintings and artifacts featuring the medallion are held in museums like the International Slavery Museum and Wilberforce House Museum.

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