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Celebrate Black History Month With Artwork

Analyze the included artwork and learn more about these heroes. 

Black History Month Artwork
Credit: MY HERO

The paintings below are from Robert Shetterly's series of portraits Americans Who Tell the Truth. Notice that he includes a text in his portraits. Why do you think he includes these quotations? Do you think it adds to the strength of the representation? 

Zyahna Bryant

By: Robert Shetterly

Tarana Burke

By: Robert Shetterly

Alicia Garza

By: Robert Shetterly

Amara Ifeji

By: Robert Shetterly

Jaysa Hunter-Mellers

By: Robert Shetterly

Barbara Johns

By: Robert Shetterly

Leah Penniman

By: Robert Shetterly

Bayard Rustin

By: Robert Shetterly

Bryan Stevenson

By: Robert Shetterly

Stacey Abrams

By: Robert Shetterly

W.E.B. Du Bois by Robert Shetterly

By: Robert Shetterly
Americans Who Tell The Truth - portraits and quotes by Robert Shetterly

James Baldwin by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Civil Rights activist and writer James Baldwin portrayed as an American Who Tells the Truth by Robert Shetterly

John Lewis by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Civil Rights hero John Lewis as painted by Robert Shetterly

Alice Walker by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Alice Walker, African American author of Color Me Purple, painted by Robert Shetterly

Muhammad Ali

By: Robert Shetterly
Arguably boxing's most celebrated athlete, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War and his longtime battle with Parkinson's disease.

Rosa Parks by Robert Shetterly

Rosa Parks by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org , 2002 Americans Who Tell the Truth "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in." - Rosa Parks -

Martin Luther King, Jr. By Robert Shetterly, AWTT

By: Robert Shetterly
Portrait of Civil Rights Leader MLK Jr by Robert Shetterly, Americans Who Tell the Truth.org

Frederick Douglass by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Portrait of Civil War era African American hero Frederick Douglass by Robert Shetterly, Americans Who Tell the Truth

Lateefah Simon by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Working for incarcerated youth, Lateefah Simon is a hero for children's rights and rehabilitation

Shirley Chisholm by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
"Prejudice and hatred built the nation’s slums, maintains them and profits by them…. we are exposed as hypocrites when we talk about making people free."

Paul Robeson by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

By: Robert Shetterly
Singer, Writer, Civil Rights Activist: 1898 - 1976 "The talents of an artist, small or great, are God given. They've nothing to do with him as a private person; they're nothing to be proud of. They're just a sacred trust... Having been given, I must give. Man shall not live by bread alone, and what the farmer does I must do. I must feed the people-with my songs."

Malcolm X

By: Robert Shetterly
African-American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X articulated concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the 1950s and '60s

The portraits below are by artist Saint George. Notice he also used a quote in each of his portraits. What does the quote tell you about the subject of the portrait?

Marian Anderson Portrait

By: Saint George
Marian Anderson was an American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth said: "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty

Katherine Johnson

By: Saint George
Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson is an African-American physicist and mathematician who made contributions to the United States' aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA

Leontyne Price by Saint George

By: Saint George
Mary Violet Leontyne Price is a soprano. Born and raised in Mississippi, she was one of the first African Americans to sing opera at the Metropolitan Opera.

Toni Morrison Portrait by St George

By: Saint George
Toni Morrison is an American novelist, editor, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters.

Portrait of Charles White

By: Saint George

Portrait of Betye Saar

By: Saint George

Portrait of Jacob Lawrence

By: Saint George

Louis Armstrong Portrait

By: Saint George Thompson

Nat King Cole Portrait by St George

By: Saint George
Nat King Cole was a crooner in the best sense of the word. Because of his popularity, he had the first African-American hosted TV show

Portrait of Marvin Gaye

By: Saint George
Marvin Gaye, aka the "prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul," was a singer, songwriter and record producer who helped shape the "Motown sound."

Barbara Jordan

By: Saint George
Barbara Charline Jordan was a lawyer, educator, an American politician, and a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

Aretha Franklin

By: Saint George Thompson

Ralph Abernathy Portrait

By: Saint George
Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr..

Florence Ngobeni

By: St George Thompson

John Lewis Portrait

By: Saint George

John Robert Lewis is an American politician and civil rights leader. He is the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district, serving since 1987, and is the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. 

Nat King Cole Portrait by St George

By: Saint George
Nat King Cole was a crooner in the best sense of the word. Because of his popularity, he had the first African-American hosted TV show

Additional Artwork 

Martin Luther King Jr. painted by Marilyn Huerta

By: Marilyn Huerta
Marilyn Huerta paints Martin Luther King Jr's portrait as a civil rights leader and non violent activist

Barack Obama- Martin Luther King Jr. by Ben Heine

By: Ben Heine from Belgium
Ben Heine pays homage to great African-American civil rights heroes Martin Luther King and Barack Obama

Ms. Rosa Parks by Gail Slockett

By: Gail G. Slockett
Portrait of Rosa Parks by Gail Slockett

Oprah Winfrey

By: Devin from Laguna Beach

Good Trouble

By: Danny Hinds
"Good Trouble" by Danny Hinds

Harriet Tubman

By: Sandra Wang
Harriet Tubman, a brave soldier who led hundreds of slaves to freedom

Sojourner Truth

By: Tom Block

Maya Angelou

By: Sergio Benenson

Marsha P. Johnson

By: Robin Venter
Marsha P. Johnson was an American gay liberation activist/advocate for gay rights. Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969

Organizer created on 1/16/2024 3:56:03 PM by Laura Nietzer

Last edited 2/21/2024 3:27:44 PM by Laura Nietzer

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