Film: Black is the Color

This recent film is a comprehensive survey of great work by African American artists who for so long encountered barriers in the mainstream art world. In it, key artists such as Edmonia Lewis, Whitfield Lovell, Kerry James Marshall, Ellen Gallagher, and Jean-Michel Basquiat are highlighted. Art historians and gallery owners place the works in context—juxtaposing them with racist images of African Americans and setting them against the larger social contexts of Jim Crow, WWI, the civil rights movement, and ingrained racism. As well, contemporary artists discuss their influences.