In the United States, African American History Month offers a time for Americans to reflect on our country’s flawed history and how African Americans have persevered. In 1976, it became a nationally recognized holiday, and now many government-sponsored organizations offer programming during the month of February to educate Americans about the challenges that the Black community has faced since the United States’ inception and their contributions to society. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum are just a few of the organizations that help run programming.
Though a lot of progress has been made in the United States, it is crucial that we remember that African Americans faced a much different reality not long ago. The full suffrage of African Americans is relatively recent, and many of our grandparents probably remember it. Though Black males got the right to vote in 1870, they were barred from the polls through outrageous taxes and difficult literacy tests. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was when many of the barriers to voting were lowered.
From the Civil Rights movement to today, Black creators have worked hard to uplift the voices of their community and to make their work reflective of the struggles they have faced. Their art has helped others better understand Black history and the challenges that people of color face everyday. Let’s take a look at how some modern Black creators have used art to communicate their messages!
Kehinde Wiley
Wiley is a painter based out of New York City. His best-known work is his presidential portrait of President Obama. Compared to the other presidential portraits housed in the National Portrait Gallery, Obama’s portrait is the most colorful and abstract. In Wiley’s other work, he also chooses to highlight people of color by replacing “conventional images of white men of historical status with contemporary men of colour who simulated the poses of the original masterworks.” Learn more about Wiley in our previous blog article.
Photos: Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Kehinde Wiley Studio
Kara Walker
Walker combines contrast and storytelling through her silhouette paintings. She was highly influenced by her father, Larry Walker, who is a professor and professional painter. Her depictions are not typically drawn from her everyday life but rather a historical perspective. She focuses on the history of African Americans, including slavery, racism, and gender issues. Her silhouettes often feature Victorian-style dresses.
Photos: The Art Story, Kara Walker Studio
Jerrell Gibbs
Gibbs is a Creative Community Fellow of the National Arts Strategies, lecturer, and educator. His artwork primarily focuses on his everyday life experiences and looking back at the joyous moments of his childhood. Gibbs’ paintings heavily use patterns, and all of his characters have very strong expressions on their faces. He describes his work as “representations of black identity by depicting empathy, inviting the possibility for a spiritual connection.”
Photos: UTA Artist Space, Jerrell Gibbs
Arcmanoro Niles
Niles moved from Washington D.C. to attend the New York Academy of Art and start his career. Now based in New York City, Niles has experimented with color, creating monochromatic works dealing with the mundane. You may find many domestic scenes, including living rooms, bedrooms, or bathrooms. He references family photos and photos he has taken on his cell phone before painting.
Photos: Lehmann Maupin, UTA Artist Space, Cultured Magazine
Kenturah Davis
Davis splits her time between Ghana, Africa and Los Angeles. She works mostly in figure drawing and keeps her canvases in black and white. Interestingly, her drawings also depict movement in them through blurring lines and adjusting the alignment. After spending many years in two dimension art, she started working in textiles recently and decided to launch her own fashion brand, Osei Duro.
Photos: Kenturah Davis
If you’re interested in discovering more Black artists, check out this article by the Smithsonian Magazine, where you can find video and virtual reality exhibits. Despite language and cultural differences, art can communicate history and emotions with ease. Looking at art also actively encourages us to engage with difficult topics and questions. Though art is a great tool, it is just one of the few ways you can celebrate Black History Month. There are so many other creative works, like books and movies, that you can use to learn more about the Black community in the United States. No matter what medium you choose, Black History Month is time to honor the sacrifices that Black Americans made to achieve equal rights and citizenship.
Vocabulary list:
flawed (adj.) - blemished or imperfect in appearance
persevere (v.) - facing and overcoming a difficult situation
inception (f.) - the establishment or beginning of something
crucial (adj.) - of great importance
barred (adj.) - closed off or forbidden
outrageous (adj.) - excessive or bold
abstract (adj.) - detached or not similar to real life
conventional (adj.) - going along with how something is usually done
contemporary (adj.) - in the present
depiction (adj.) - representation in image form
Victorian (adj.) - relating to, or characteristic of the reign of Queen Victoria of England or the art, letters, or tastes of her time
expression (n.) - showing emotion through body language
empathy (n.) - ability to share or understand another person’s feelings
monochromatic (adj.) - all in one color
mundane (adj.) - relating to ordinary, normal life
domestic (adj.) - relating to the home or the family
textile (n.) - a type of woven cloth or fabric
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bridgette Lang is an undergraduate student studying International Relations at Boston University. On campus, she helps run a collegiate Model United Nations Conference and manages finances for BU College Democrats. In her free time, Bridgette enjoys traveling, trying to learn Spanish, and visiting with her friends and family back home in Pennsylvania.