Historically, and in our own time, African American artists have foregrounded in their work the social, political, and cultural successes of Black Americans and have offered vociferous critiques of violations of their civil rights, and of systemic racism. In their art they questioned racial stereotyping and engaged their audience in thoughtful, but also provocative interrogations of the cultural and socio-political marginalizations of African Americans in American society. This lecture will analyze works by African American artists in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, among others, as the means of resistance and political activism aiming to dismantle racial prejudice and celebrate multilayered African American identities.
