Jacob Lawrence: Celebrating the Legacy of an African-American Painter
THE LIBRARY
Jacob Lawrence is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed and respected African-American artists of the 20th century.
Libraries hold a profoundly special place in Jacob Lawrence's life and, as a result, they naturally and frequently appear in many of his paintings.
They represent a vital space where African-Americans can reclaim and regain access to their rich identity, unique culture, and complex history, a history that was too often marginalized and despised during his formative high school years, as he candidly remembered.
Recognizing this gap, he therefore felt compelled to educate himself and embark on a quest to learn about his own country's history by diligently visiting local libraries, regularly borrowing a diverse array of books and immersing himself in the lives and stories of African American heroes from his time, such as John Brown, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass, individuals who later became prominent subjects of his vibrant and evocative paintings.