Honoring African American Artists During Black History Month 

It is officially February, marking the celebration of Black History Month across the country. It is important to embrace curiosity as we reflect on and honor the history and achievements of African Americans. In the early 20th Century, the Harlem Renaissance began, fostering greater representation of Black culture by African American writers and artists. Black artists at that time fought to establish their identity, and during this month Americans everywhere are encouraged to remember these accomplishments.  

Many African American artists deserve to be recognized. Countless poets, painters, actors and musicians have aided in the growth of Black culture. Alma Thomas, an African American painter and teacher, was one of those artists. Thomas was raised in a household that emphasized and encouraged culture and learning. In 1907, her family moved to Washington, D.C., in search of greater educational opportunities and relief from racial violence in the South. In 1924, Thomas became Howard University’s first fine arts graduate. She then began her teaching career at Shaw Junior High School, where she continued to work for 35 years. In addition to teaching, Thomas earned her Master of Arts in Education at Columbia University in 1934 and she studied art at American University during the 1950s. Thomas was associated with the Little Paris Group of Artists and Howard University’s Gallery of Art. She is best known for her exuberant, colorful, abstract paintings. Thomas once stated, “I’ve never bothered painting the ugly things in life. People struggling, having difficulty. You meet that when you go out, and then you have to come back and see the same thing hanging on the wall. No. I wanted something beautiful that you could sit down and look at. And then, the paintings change you.” Thomas’ work is displayed in multiple galleries with The Smithsonian American Art Museum having the largest public collection of hers.

During the 20th century, poetry was used to give voice to the African American experience. Gwendolyn Brooks is one of the most widely read and influential 20th-century American poets. Brooks was born in Kansas, but her family moved to Chicago when she was young. Her father was a janitor who had hoped to become a doctor, and her mother was a schoolteacher and a classically trained pianist. Both of Brooks’ parents supported her passion for reading and writing. Brooks was 13 when she published her first poem, “Eventide,” and by the time she was 17, she was publishing poems frequently in the Chicago Defender. After attending junior college and working for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, she developed her craft in poetry workshops and completed her first collection, “A Street in Bronzeville,” which was published in 1945. Brooks published over 20 books, but she also had many other accomplishments during her career. Gwendolyn Brooks was the first Black poet to win the Pulitzer Prize, as well as the first Black woman to hold the role of Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position now referred to as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. She served as the Illinois Poet Laureate for 32 years. Brooks once stated, ​​“Art hurts. Art urges voyages – and it is easier to stay at home.” Her poetry and words of wisdom live on through the countless books she published and her achievements that paved the way for many African American writers. 

Music has always been an outlet for African American expression. William Grant Still, an African American composer, was an inspiration for many in the 20th century. Still was brought up by his mother and grandmother in Little Rock, Arkansas, and studied medicine at Wilberforce University, Ohio, before turning to music. He first studied composition at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, then under the musical conservative George Whitefield Chadwick at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In the 1920s, he worked as an arranger for the bandleader Paul Whiteman and the blues composer W.C. Handy. Still’s concern with the position of African Americans in society is reflected in many of his works, with his most popular being his first symphony, “Afro-American Symphony.” His career marked many firsts. Still was the first African-American to conduct a major symphony, the first African-American to have one of his symphonies performed by a leading orchestra, and the first to have an opera performed on national television. Still’s legacy lives on in his 200 works which include: five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, and over 30 choral works, chamber music and solo works. His vision of harmonic unity extending beyond music and into society remain an important message: “For me, there is no White music or Black music – there is only music by individual men that is important if it attempts to dignify all men, not just a particular race.”

These artists and many other African American artists paved the way for Black culture and expression today. They turned to art during dark times in American history and created something special for people to enjoy for years to come. If you are curious about Black History or want to learn more about these artists, explore the many museums, books and websites dedicated to sharing these truths to the world. 

(Featured image source: Flickr / Enokson)