We continue our series celebrating Women’s History Month, focusing on Black Women in Art and Literature in the United States.
During the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, “a growing number of black female artists and writers emerged.” Over the decades, through the Harlem Renaissance, civil rights, and women’s rights movements, into today’s mainstream culture, Black women have historically risen above the limitations that others have set for them. They made, and continue to make, large-scale impacts on today’s society, breaking barriers, drawing on the strength of their ancestors, and creating a path for future artists.
"After I decided to be an artist, the first thing that I had to believe was that I, a black woman, could penetrate the art scene and that I could do so without sacrificing one iota of my blackness, or my femaleness, or my humanity." - Faith Ringgold, 1985
Meet five different women who made their unique mark on American culture over five different decades.
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