Famous and not so famous African-American artists have remarkably shared portrayals of historic and modern occasions and people, cultural perspectives, and the experiences and battles of minorities through their artwork. This short article highlights the critical work of Black artists who assisted to bring African-American experiences into the elite art world. The art catches contemporary and historical experiences. Some art catches race and gender relations. Witchcrafts as a movement speaks straight to the needs and aspirations of Black America. The Black artist talks to the spiritual and cultural needs of Black individuals in their artistry.
The specialists of Black arts are inspired by a desire to confront white power structures and assert an African American cultural identity. Black arts aim to serve the neighborhood and artists.
Happy Black History Month! This year the Rediscovering Black History blog at the National Archives would like to highlight select posts from the past. This public blog was created to inform researchers, scholars, students, and anyone interested in records related to African-American history at the National Archives and Presidential Libraries on the vast amount of textual, electronic, photographs, and special media available for use. For the past four years, NARA employees, student interns, and independent researchers have written informative and insightful blogs on the black experience through the use of our holdings. The highlighted blog posts for the month of February will center around popular themes. Today’s theme is black education.
Howard University, Graduating Student (NAID 26174879)
The blogs relating to black education in the United States are of special interest to researchers and scholars across the country, as they can relate to concerns surrounding education today. The records in the National Archives on this topic contain information on federal funding, studies on vocational training, legislation regarding equal access, and other issues of the government’s involvement with public education. Our blogs on black education covered several issues, including the desegregation of public schools, innovators in black education, and life on black college campuses.
- “George Washington Carver and the Agricultural Experiment Station at the Tuskegee Institute” by Mary Kate Eckles
- “Ambrose Caliver, A Leader in 20th Century Black Education” by Kate Palm
- “Black College Life in the New Deal: A Google Cultural Institute Exhibit” by Netisha Currie
- “A Special Memorandum from 1933: “Social Adjustment of Negroes in the United States”” by Blossom Ojukwu
- “The Prince Edward County Free School Association” by Emanuel Riley
- “Federal Records Relating to the Brown v. Board of Education Case” by Tina L. Ligon
- “Educating African Americans: A Brief Look into Historically Black Colleges in America” by Michael Arzate
- “Morgan v. Hennigan: Desegregation of Boston Public Schools” by Tina L. Ligon
Black artists stress racial pride, an appreciation of African heritage, and a commitment to produce works that reflect the culture and experiences of black people. In each era, occasions of the day galvanize black artists to produce, arrange, and change the world.