January 27, 2025 by Sarah Pipino (‘26)
Art is more than just the watercolor tree your teacher forced you to paint in fifth grade, and more than the paintings you see lining the walls of art museums on school-sanctioned field trips. Art is passion; art is love. Art is resilience and courage. Art is one of the most basic forms of communication, able to rise above differing races, backgrounds, languages, literacy levels, genders, and sexualities to create a connection across all kinds of people. It has been used for centuries to share ideas and inspire change in the hearts of many.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day this past Monday, it is our job to remember the future that he and countless others gave their lives for. And in the coming face of adversity and prejudice for many, there is no choice except to continue their work towards equality. These next works are only a sample of the artwork that defined the Civil Rights movement in which Black Americans protested the injustices they dealt with on a daily basis- segregation, attacks from white supremist groups, hate crimes- and fought tirelessly for their rights.
Move On Up a Little Higher, 1961 by Charles White
Photo source: artnet.com
Using charcoal and black pencil, White depicts a seated Black woman in a pose commonly seen in church, with her arms up to the sky to praise God. The title of the work is a gospel song that became famous within the Civil Rights movement after it was recorded by Mahalia Jackson. White drew this to depict the power of Black women and to encourage the protesters to rise up to the challenge, as shown by the upward strokes of the background. This work reminded protesters that it was their God-given right to have equality, as in the Christian faith it is believed that we are all God’s children no matter the color of our skin.
Evening Rendezvous, 1962 by Norman Lewis
Photo source: greatbigcanvas.com
Lewis painted this work to portray the violence perpetrated against the Black community during this time. The figures in white represent members of the Ku Klux Klan, a White supremacist group known for their infamous white hoods that conceal their identity. The red and blue of the painting is meant to show how this racist group commonly used (and uses, since the KKK still exists) “patriotism” to excuse their hateful actions. Through this abstract work Lewis portrayed the myriad of emotions surrounding the crimes committed by the Klan: fear, grief, confusion, chaos, and every other feeling that cannot possibly be put into words. This painting is to open people’s eyes and call out the violence that so many don’t want to acknowledge.
*Note: the next image and summary contain what can be triggering content*
Behold Thy Son, 1956 by David C. Driskell
Photo source: nmaahc.si.edu
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old Black boy who was travelling to visit family in Mississippi in 1955. He never made it to his family because on the way he was attacked and murdered by two grown men who accused him of flirting with a White woman. His mother decided to have his casket open at his funeral to show the violent bruises that covered his skin and therefore show the world how her son had been ruthlessly killed for absolutely no reason. Not only did Emmett Till’s death kickstart the nationwide Civil Rights movement, but seeing his body moved Driskell to create this oil painting. In this piece, Emmett Till is in place of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion, with Black people behind him, supporting his limp and battered body. In the Christian Bible, Jesus Christ is said to have sacrificed Himself to forgive the sins of humanity, and He is resurrected after three days and taken to Heaven. Driskell putting Emmett Till in Christ’s place represents his death: unfair, brutal, cruel, and his resurrection: Black people fighting their oppression so that no more innocent children would die as he did.
The Door (Admissions Office), 1969 by David Hammons
Photo source: artsy.net
After the Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court decreed it unconstitutional for public schools to be segregated, Black students were allowed to attend previously all-White schools. However, the struggles did not end with this verdict. Black children and teenagers were swarmed by vicious mobs, who were outraged at the concept of integrating all races at school, until eventually the students had to be escorted by security to avoid violent encounters. This sculpture, depicting a door that reads “Admissions Office” and a black shadow in the shape of a body that has been thrown against the door, commemorates the struggles faced by Black students to get an equal education.
Unite, 1971 by Barbara Jones-Hogu
Photo source: MutualArt.com
This final work is a poster that portrays a group of Black people, with the word “Unite” repeated in fragments above their heads. These people in the poster have embraced their natural hair and, mouths closed, raised their right fists in a silent form of protest. This symbol of the Black fist is still used today in movements like Black Lives Matter, as it shows the strength of those protesting for equal rights. Although fists can imply violence, that’s not what this symbol represents. The Black fist is a testament to all that people of color have suffered at the hands of oppressive systems in America, and the resolve to change the world until there are no more debates about human rights.
In honor of MLK day, these pieces show the strength of a group that has and continues to demand change. However, this theme does not end at the Black community. So many groups today are demanding change for so many things including human rights and even climate. There is no telling what the future will hold, and there is no guarantee that everyone’s rights and equality will be protected, at any time in history and in the present. The only thing we can ensure is that we will not be complacent in accepting things we know in our hearts are wrong.
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.