By Workers’ Compensation Specialist Samilya Zurawski, FSIS African American Special Emphasis Program Manager 

During February, the nation pauses to celebrate and reflect on the contributions of African Americans. African Americans have played, and continue to play, a major role in the artistic evolution of America. Drawing from personal experience, family history and folklore, African Americans have used music, song, poetry, dance and other forms of creative expression to influence and inspire artists from all ethnicities and nationalities. Many contributions of these great artists often went unrecognized and unappreciated for generations. Fortunately, admiration and respect for their work has grown.

African American artists have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as to empower cultural movements such as the New Negro, Black Arts, Harlem Renaissance, hip-hop and Afrofuturism, just to name a few. The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most notable cultural, literary, artistic and social awakenings among African Americans during the first few decades of the 20th century. It brought to the forefront some of the most well-known African American artists, such as the writers Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and W.E.B. Du Bois; the musicians Louis Armstrong, Ma Rainey and Cab Calloway; the actors, singers and dancers Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne; sculptors Augusta Savage and Sargent Claude Johnson and painter and illustrator Aaron Douglas.

Lena Horne and Bill Robinson in the film Stormy Weather.

Photo by Pierre Tourigny, copyright under creativecommons.org.

Augusta Savage with her sculpture Realization.

Photo by Andrew Herman.

Courtesy of Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, 1935-1942. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Art lovers and audiences from all over the globe are showing a greater appreciation for the diversity of the arts and the significance of the stories told through art. This increased appreciation has led to a cultural awakening, prompting museums and institutions to highlight previously unknown African American artists.

Building on the contributions of the historic figures before them, many African American visual artists of the twentieth century reached new horizons in the art world. Two of those who have since gained recognition and respect for the beauty, individuality and diversity of their work are Jean-Michel Basquiat and Latoya Ruby Frazier. Basquiat rose to fame in the 1980s as part of the neo-expression movement. Frazier was a photographer and professor at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

Untitled (Skull), by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1981.

Copyrighted image; posted on Wikipedia as “Fair Use.”

Brushing Zion’s Teeth with Bottled Water, 2016-2017 by LaToya Ruby Frazier.

Photo by LaToya Ruby Frazier.

The image is copyrighted published via Fair Use rationale.

The impact of African American art is vast and important to capturing the culture, history and legacy of African Americans. It serves as a powerful tool for storytelling, shedding light on the struggles, triumphs and resilience of the African American community. It continues to serve as a method of expression that has connected many Americans with African American culture and each other. African Americans have truly enriched the nation’s cultural tapestry, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diversity. Their artistic contributions not only reflect the richness of their heritage but have also challenged societal norms, promoting dialogue and fostering unity across communities.