Frank Cieciorka facts for kids

Frank Cieciorka (pronounced che-CHOR-ka) was an American artist and activist. He lived from 1939 to 2008. He is best known for his powerful drawing of a raised fist. This symbol became very famous and was used by many groups fighting for change in the 1960s.

Frank Cieciorka's Early Life and Activism

Frank grew up in Johnson City, New York. In 1957, he went to San Jose State College in California. There, he joined the Socialist Party. He was against the United States getting involved in wars in places like the Dominican Republic and Vietnam.

In 1964, Frank volunteered for "Freedom Summer." This was a big effort to help Black Americans register to vote in Mississippi. He also worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. These experiences helped shape his strong beliefs about fairness and justice. Frank also helped create the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. This group was an alternative to the main state Democratic Party, which was mostly white.

The Famous Fist Symbol

The image of a raised fist has been used in art for a long time. It appeared on a poster in 1917. But Frank Cieciorka made it popular in a new way. He saw the raised fist at a Socialist rally in San Francisco. He thought it would make a great woodcut image.

Frank and others put his design on buttons. They gave out thousands of these buttons at protests and rallies. The fist became especially famous during "Stop the Draft Week" in 1967. An art historian named Lincoln Cushing called it "the iconic New Left fist." It was easy to copy and quickly used by many groups. Even the Black Panther Party, which had its own panther logo, sometimes used versions of Frank's "power salute" in their writings.

Other Important Works

Frank Cieciorka also created other important works. He wrote and drew a book called "Negroes in American History: A Freedom Primer." He worked on this book with Bobbi Dearborn Cieciorka. This book was used in "freedom schools" in the American South. These schools taught Black children during the Civil Rights Movement. The book's cover shows four hands and one fist reaching up. This might be one of the first times the fist symbol was used in the Civil Rights Movement.

He also drew posters for groups that helped workers, like the United Farm Workers. He contributed to a newspaper called The Movement as its art director.

Later Life and Art

In the early 1970s, Frank moved to Humboldt County, California. He became a well-known watercolor painter. He especially loved painting the landscapes of his rural California home. Frank Cieciorka passed away at his home in Alderpoint, California, on November 24, 2008.

In collection

• Illustration for The Movement, San Francisco Bay Area, 1968; artist, Frank Cieciorka; H.K. Yuen Archive, University of California Berkeley.