Don’t Tread on Me, God Damn, Let’s Go! — The Harlem Hellfighters

Bisa Butler, Don't Tread on Me, God Damn, Let's Go! - The Harlem Hellfighters, 2021, cottons, silk, wool, and velvet, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David Bonderman, 2022.25, © 2022, Bisa Butler
Bisa Butler, Don't Tread on Me, God Damn, Let's Go! - The Harlem Hellfighters, 2021, cottons, silk, wool, and velvet, 109 12 × 156 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David Bonderman, 2022.25, © 2022, Bisa Butler

Artwork Details

Title
Don’t Tread on Me, God Damn, Let’s Go! — The Harlem Hellfighters
Artist
Date
2021
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
109 12 × 156 in.
Copyright
© 2022, Bisa Butler
Credit Line
Gift of David Bonderman
Mediums Description
cottons, silk, wool, and velvet
Classifications
Subjects
  • History — United States — World War I
  • History — United States — Black History
  • African American
  • Figure group — male
Object Number
2022.25

Artwork Description

In this monumental quilt, Bisa Butler brings to life the history and emotions of nine members of the 369th Infantry Regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters, a segregated unit of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. Drawing from the wellsprings of African American quilting traditions and the Kool-Aid colors of the Black Power art movement, Butler pieced together layers of dazzling textiles to connect this present moment to the past.


“I look to their example to see for myself that the triumphs we experience today will outlast tyrants and that nothing can ever erase them—not time, not death. These protectors of our nation fought and put their very bodies and their lives on the line. My work is to continue to lift them up in history so they can be seen in public spaces, where their heroic sacrifices become part of the American quest to fight against oppression and for freedom.” —Bisa Butler


This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022

Works by this artist (625 items)

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      Get to know the historic figures behind Bisa Butler’s monumental quilt  Don’t Tread on Me, God Damn, Let’s Go! — The Harlem Hellfighters with Nora Atkinson, the Fleur and Charles Bresler Curator-in-Charge for SAAM’s Renwick Gallery. Learn about the Harlem Hellfighters, who served in the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I, view archival footage of the troop in action, and discover the artistry Butler uses to pay homage to the soldiers.

      This video is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's ongoing series American Art Moments. Join a SAAM expert and go beyond the artwork label to discover the untold stories and rich connections represented in some of the museum's most iconic artworks.

      Exhibitions

      Quilt featuring the portrait of a woman
      This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World
      May 13, 2022April 2, 2023
      This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.

      Related Posts

      Detail of quilted portrait showing three African American soldiers
      SAAM’s video series, American Art Moments, takes a closer look at the monumental quilt The Harlem Hellfighters by Bisa Butler
      Detail of quilted portrait showing three African American soldiers
      Learn more about artist Bisa Butler's vivid portraits of African American heroes from World War I
      SAAM

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