Taro Yamasaki

Josephine Jacubowski, activist, 1981.

Chromogenic photograph.  14 3/4 x 19 3/4 inches

Collection of the artist

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Ms. Jacubowski had just been arrested for occupying and attempting to prevent the demolition of her church,

Immaculate Conception, which stood in the largely Polish "Poletown"  area in Detroit being razed for a new

General Motors Detroit/Hamtramck assembly plant.   A 29-day sit-in came to an end July 14, 1981 when the

police forcibly removed 20 people from the church.  The church was torn down later that month.

A winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Feature Photography, Taro Yamasaki was a Distinguished

Visiting Artist in Residence at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design in 1999 and 2000.  He has

freelanced for Time, Life, People, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.  As a Contributing Photographer at People, he

traveled the world covering in-depth human interest stories before the current hyper fascination with celebrities

took hold.  He currently works on personal work and commercial projects and has published two books on

travertine marble and architecture.

www.taroyamasaki.com