SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Norman Rockwell is one of the best-known artists of the 20th century. He died in 1978, but left a legacy of images that to many are the embodiment of Americana - paintings of Americans saluting the flag, standing up and speaking at town hall meetings, eating together, praying together. In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security has been using some of Rockwell's iconic images without permission, posting them on social media with messaging around patriotism and what some have seen as anti-immigrant sentiments. All of this at a time when the department is leading a wide-scale deportation push and often mocking online the people it is removing from the country.
In response to this use, Rockwell's family members have written an op-ed in USA Today denouncing it as a shameful misrepresentation of Rockwell's work and legacy. Daisy Rockwell joins us now. She's an award-winning translator and artist and the granddaughter of Norman Rockwell. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
DAISY ROCKWELL: Thank you.
DETROW: So what was your reaction to these Department of Homeland Security posts when you first saw them and became aware of them?
ROCKWELL: Well, of course, I was very upset because it was so clearly framing Norman Rockwell as symbolizing the things that Homeland Security stands for - i.e. anti-immigrant sentiment and segregationism.
DETROW: I think one thing that has really struck people are the captions. There was one DHS post, it was the painting of "Working On The Statue Of Liberty" paired with, protect your homeland, defend your culture.
ROCKWELL: Right.
DETROW: What did that pairing say to you?
ROCKWELL: Yeah. So they looked at that painting and they saw, you know, people working on the maintenance of the Statue of Liberty, and they thought, yes, that's what we're doing. We're, like - 'cause Make America Great Again is talking about the past, is trying to revive something that occurred in the past. And I think that something, especially in the case of Homeland Security, is a segregationist past. And so that's what they saw in that picture. They're actually wrong because if you look closely at the picture, one of the people maintaining it is a person of color. He was told not to have people of color in his paintings who weren't in subservient positions when he - by his editor at the Saturday Evening Post. But he was always sneaking people in.
DETROW: You write at length in the op-ed that you and your family members believe your grandfather, Norman Rockwell, would have been devastated to see his art used this way. Why do you think that is?
ROCKWELL: Because we have really strong evidence of how inspired he became in the early Civil Rights Movement to stand up and use his platform to send out a message in support of civil rights actions and desegregation. And so we have, for example, the "Golden Rule," which is a multiracial group praying together in all different faiths. And then we have "The Problem We All Live With," which is inspired by Ruby Bridges' solo walk to her school - desegregating her school in New Orleans.
DETROW: Right. That powerful painting of a young Black girl going to school with adults guarding her. Their heads are out of the shot, and you see racist graffiti on the wall behind her.
ROCKWELL: By the way, today, November 14, is the anniversary of her walk to school. So in 1964 - and this is, I think, a really fascinating story - it was a few weeks before his 70th birthday that he published that painting. So it's inspiring to all of us, I think, in the family, that, you know, you can just - you can keep growing and keep moving forward and keep using your platform.
DETROW: DHS is still using these images, and I understand your family has decided not, at this point, to pursue legal action - to send a cease-and-desist letter or anything like that - but rather focus on education. Why?
ROCKWELL: Well, I mean, just - if you just stand back and you see what this administration is doing, like, there's clearly not a nuanced approach to our American cultural history going on here, nor any (inaudible) for things like copyright law. So if we tried to pursue this legally, it would be long and drawn out. They obviously don't want to take it down, and are doubling down in a kind of trollish way. But we think it's more important that younger people know what he stood for.
DETROW: Daisy Rockwell, thank you for joining us and talking about your grandfather and the way his work is being used in this moment.
ROCKWELL: Well, thank you for having me.
DETROW: And in response to NPR's request for comment, DHS sent a link to their post on X featuring Rockwell's painting "A Scout Is Loyal" with a quote from the artist - "Those were the days when America believed in itself. I was happy and proud to be painting it." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
