Black History Month - The Arts

By: Maurice Horsey (9th Grade)

For Black History Month this year, the Red and Gold has chosen to spotlight how African Americans have influenced the arts throughout history. In this section written by Maurice Horsey, you will explore literature, art, film, and music created by African Americans. 

Literature

Ida B. Wells -

Ida B. Wells was born a slave in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862. During this time period, many African-Americans were dehumanized through lynchings. According to the NAACP, “Lynchings were violent public acts that white people used to terrorize and control Black people in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the South. Lynchings typically evoke images of Black men and women hanging from trees,” while also involving other extreme forms of brutality such as “torture, mutilation, decapitation, and desecration.” Her personal experiences with lynchings led her to launch a book called “The Red Record.” She continued to fight for the justice of African Americans through the end of her life.

Amanda Gorman -

Amanda Gorman was born in Los Angeles, California on March 7, 1998. She graduated from Harvard University (cum laude). On Jan. 20, 2021, Gorman recited her original poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. She made history on that day by being the youngest African American woman to speak her own poetry at an inauguration. 

Art

Gordon Parks -

Gordon Parks was born in Fort Scott, Kansas on November 30, 1912. His photography focused “on race relations, poverty, civil rights, and urban life” (The Gordon Parks Foundation). He also took photos of important public figures like Langston Hughes and Muhammad Ali. Throughout his career, Parks’ photography highlighted what millions of Americans at the time were neglecting.

Sydney G. James -

“The Girl with the D Earring” by Sydney G. James

Muralist and painter Sydney G. James created “The Girl with the D Earring,” in her home city, Detroit, Michigan. “The Girl with the D Earring,” depicts the city of Detroit as a whole. Ashley Winn writes that the mural is “Universally synonymous with Detroit, the “D” represents the soul of the city, which she says is embodied by its people. The portrait’s vibrant hues represent Detroit’s long-held position as a center of cultural evolution” (Hour Detroit).  

Film

John Singleton -

John Singleton was born in Los Angeles, California on January 6, 1968. Singleton graduated from the University of Southern California (USC), and went on to produce a revolutionary movie titled Boyz n the Hood that “changed perceptions about the Black experience in America” (Essence). He became the “first African American to be nominated for the best director honour” for his work (Britannica).

Tupac Shakur -

Tupac Shakur was born Lesane Crooks in Brooklyn, New York on June 16, 1971. His family then moved to California shortly after. Tupac was deemed as “one of the most influential artists in the history of hip hop,” with five #1 albums on Billboard 200 (Gradozero Beats). The person who caused his death, Duane Davis, was recently discovered after twenty-seven years since his murder.  

Bob Marley -

Bob Marley was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica on February 6, 1945. He is regarded as “the single most influential reggae musician of all time” and gained popularity in the Americas/Caribbean (National Geographic). Marley created The Wailing Wailers (band) as well as Neville Livingston and Hubert Mclntosh. He died at the age of thirty-six on May 11, 1981. 

Lauryn Hill -

Lauryn Hill was born in South Orange, New Jersey on May 26, 1975. She joined the Fugees (hip-hop group), and they went on to win a Grammy Award for “ Best R&B Performance of the Year” (Academy of Achievement). Her music career skyrocketed from this moment, leading to the production of her own album titled The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In 1999 (the Grammy Awards) Hill won five Grammys, making history.