Every February we celebrate Black History Month, which honors the achievements of Black Americans and is a time to recognize their indelible part in U.S. history. Below are powerful quotes from Black women creators and displays of their work.
Quotes From Black Women Creators
Alma Thomas, Artist and Teacher
Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man. ~Alma Thomas
Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.3Alma Thomas, Snoopy Sees Earth Wrapped in Sunset, 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.4
Carrie Mae Weems, Photographer, and Installation Artist
Art is the one place we all turn to for solace. ~Carrie Mae Weems
As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might. ~Marian Anderson
Van Vechten, Carl, photographer. Portrait of Marian Anderson. , 1940. Photograph.
Augusta Savage, Sculptor and Teacher
“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.” ~Augusta Savage
“Art – Sculpture – Harp (Augusta Savage) – Harp” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1935 – 1945.Augusta Savage, Gamin, ca. 1929, painted plaster, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Benjamin and Olya Margolin, 1988.57
Zora Neale Hurston, Author, Anthropologist, and Filmmaker
“Love is like the sea. It’s a moving thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from the shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” ~Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was friends with Carl Van Vechten, famed photographer during the Harlem Renaissance, who took this portrait on November 9, 1934. Courtesy of Yale University Library.
Angela Bassett, Actress
Don’t settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that’s in us. ~Angela Bassett
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett)
Misty Copeland, Ballet Dancer
Know that you can start late, look different, be uncertain and still succeed. ~Misty Copeland
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