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I have decided to do my research on Patrisse Cullors because I saw a brief description of her which mentioned that she is a performing writer who is the Co-founder of the BLM Movement, No Justice No Peace, and is also an advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. I am interested in knowing more about her because I went to some BLM protests and I never really thought about who came up with the movement in the first place, along with the chants. I shouted No Justice No Peace during these protests and can testify that they were very empowering; especially seeing everybody chanting them together. It really made us feel powerful as a whole. Attending these protests was such an amazing experience so I now want to know more about the person behind the movement.

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Lauren Woods is an interdisciplinary artist that works with film, performance and installation art.  Her works challenges history, the system of oppression and power.

Lauren created a site specific sculpture called, “A Dallas Drinking Fountain Project”. It was part of a Jim Crow ‘Whites Only’ sign that was discovered in 2003. She calls to attention the history of segregation that African Americans had to endure. When a person activates the fountain it projects a clip of the Civil Rights era protests. It a very interesting approach to an interactive artwork by referencing an era that discriminated against African Americans and created a hostile environment that will always be embedded in history.

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Barbara Jones-Hogu is a printmaker who was very prolific during the height of the black power movement. One of the most notable things that she accomplished was founding AfriCOBRA, which was a coalition of African American artists that were making pieces to support the Black Power movement. This artist’s work really captures a tone of the time. Her subject matter is young black people fighting for their rights, but it is shown in bright colors and patterns mimicking the psychedelic posters of the time period. I think that the work is truly beautiful and very inspirational to me because it is such a unique way to design a work that evokes such strong emotions.

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Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell are a couple who both share a love for art. They are also two of the five founding members of the Africobra group which formed in response to a lack of positive representation of African Americans in art. They aimed to create art which conveyed pride and joy in African American culture. Their art celebrates the strength, beauty, and struggles of African Americans. I was really drawn to the vibrant colors Wadsworth uses in his paintings which he calls "kool-aid colors". I was also very interested in how Jae uses fashion as her medium. I think using clothing and garments can be a unique and beautiful way to portray one's message.

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Jacob Lawrence was an American painter who painted the Great Migration and the Warseries, which served as a major source of inspiration for his work. I enjoy how much of his work was about and focused on how African-American life were in New York City and how much of it was about personal and major life events that needed to be addressed. I'd like to do further research on his art and learn more about his amazing work.
-Lina

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Matthew G - The artist that I chose is Elizabeth Catlett. She is a printmaker/sculptor who uses her art to give a voice to those who are oppressed in our society. This really drew me to her since she uses two distinct art mediums to represent her main central idea. While one using 3D sculpture and 2D prints adds different perspectives to the viewer with how they interact with the piece. Having this variety makes people conceptualize the issues she talks about in different ways based on how they view her work.

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Douglas served as a member of the Black Panther party that extended to a revolutionary artist and the Minister of Culture. His work was renown for his use of iconography when representing the oppression of black lives in America. Douglas himself was put into a correctional facility in his adolescence where he was exposed to a printing shop and the basics of commercial printing. I truly love his work as I am also a graphic designer. I think his work --which is still relevant--gives a clear message through bold lines and bright colors. It's very eye-catching. I can't wait to see more of his work and learn more about him as well!

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I decided to research Faith Ringgold. She is known for inventing the painted story quilt and leading protests in the 1960s to open museums to Black women artists. After seeing her quilt "Who's Afraid of Aunt Jemima," where she reimagined Aunt Jemima's character and story, I became interested in her use of storytelling to question and challenge the representation of Black women in the United States.
-Hunter

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I felt that after hearing about the mirror casket that she made in Ferguson I had to learn more about her. the concept sounded amazing to me!

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Grace here (Fall 2021), even though someone chose her last semester, I'm going with Adrian Piper! I had the privilege of seeing her show at the Hammer a few years ago and it was arguably one of the coolest and well versed collections of art I've ever seen. She has so much to say and has created so much ridiculously important commentary through her work, but I never got the chance to fully dive into her story as a human and what got her to this moment.

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Nicki here. I’m picking Patrice Cullors, I find it really interesting how she was the one to initiate the Black Lives Matter hashtag that has impacted society so much, and has been the slogan for an entire movement. I never really thought about where the hashtag came from, so it’ll be interesting to learn about the mind behind it.
She’s also an activist for LGBT issues as well, which I am Always here for.

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I chose Barbara Jones-Hogu because upon looking her up, I was immediately drawn to her art. It is vivid, poetic, and absolutely mesmerizing. I love the strong empowering statement her artwork embodies, and I cannot wait to learn more about her.

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The artist I am choosing is Marsha P Johnson. Marsha is one of the most iconic queer activists, having fought for gay liber

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The artist I am choosing is Adrian Piper. I have chosen her because I already think she is a badass and look forward to learning more about her.