ricans in the 1960s was far from the reality. It was not a viewpoint shared only by Marshall.
In the work, Marshall and his siblings stand in the foreground peering out at onlookers. The sun is shining and bluebirds of happiness are flying, carrying with them a ribbon that states: Here We Rest. While flowers and a sign reading Nickerson Gardens dot the foreground, we know that this is no garden but a housing project from the scene in the background. A long thin banner rides the right side of the frame which reads: More of Everyt. The fact that the banner is cut off connotes the fact that what African Americans were promised by the Civil Rights Act and the development of affordable housing was less than promised in reality. The children are standing with the sun behind them but their shadows point in three different directions.
Perhaps this is Marshall’s commentary of how dreams deferred leads individuals in different directions that undermine unity and development potentia
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