29      BLACK      PEOPLE      YOU      SHOULD      KNOW!

Before Jay Z and lil Wayne, there was Langston Hughes.

I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn.
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind--
Of such I dream, my world!


I Too, Dream a World-What world do you dream of? Is your Dream Deferred? Do you suffer The Weary Blues? I thought of myself like
Negroes Speaks of Rivers. So excited, February was like a Harlem Renaissance! 
So many options in The Big Sea of subjects of tribute! I Too, am encouraged!

29      BLACK      PEOPLE      YOU      SHOULD      KNOW!

 SoJourner Truth spoke, and many listened. Her experiences of life, rooted in courage and pain and strength. Sojourner, I don't believe, prided herself on the individual nuances that made her a woman. She enveloped her Truth in all that made her; Diligence, Intelligence, Courage, an undaunted Will and Conviction, and an almost seething beauty. A beauty that permeates through her words. It is that beauty, the beauty of her words, that endures. Sojourner Truth's words still inspire. Sojourner's words still stir the soul:

• On Heaven and Hell; ...The newspapers of my childhood used to have pictures of hell. I bought one once in New York, and there was one whole side covered with such a picture. On one side there was a narrow stair leading to heaven and the rest of the picture was a terrible abyss, with smoke rising up out of it, and numberless human beings swimming around in the flames. Then there was the old Evil One, with a long snout and a tail, stirring the others up with a pitchfork and I gazed upon that picture, I said, "My God, that is hell, sure 'nuff." There are probably persons here who can remember these things. As I got older I found out that there wasn't no such thing as hell, and that the narrow stairs only showed the narrowness of the mind that conceived the picture. I have found out and know that God's brightness and goodness and glory is hot enough to scorch all the sinners in the world.
  

• 'Ain't I A Woman'; ...“Dat man ober dar say dat womin needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted ober ditches, and to hab de best place everywhar. Nobody eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud-puddles, or gibs me any best place!” And raising herself to her full height, and her voice to a pitch like rolling thunder, she asked. "And a’n‘t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! (and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous muscular power). I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And a’n’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man—when I could get it—and bear de lash as well! And a’n‘t I a woman? I have borne thirteen chilern, and seen ’em mos‘ all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And a’n’t I a woman?

Join her. Join us.

Bid.

Contribute.

Be Counted.

To bid on this piece click here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/myungai-2546  

29      BLACK      PEOPLE      YOU      SHOULD      KNOW!

Please be inspired to Share. Bid. Contribute. Be Counted.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/muhammad-yungai-2546

To bid on this piece click here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/myungai-2546  

29      BLACK      PEOPLE      YOU      SHOULD      KNOW!

Lewis Latimer 5/29

Lewis Latimer is, undoubtedly, one of the most significant men of all time. Most notably, that of an inventor. He was also a draftsmen, an electrical engineer- authoring; "Incandescent Electric Lighting: A Practical Description of the Edison System" and he held many patents. Yes he worked closely with Thomas Edison and others becoming an integral part the technological advancements in our country's beginnings. His many accomplishments during a time when freedom had to be earned, makes his legacy an inspiration and asset today.

Bid.

Contribute.

Be Counted.

Hopefully some of the dust has settled from the Superbowl last nite... regarding the aforementioned-- I won't say anymore about that here!  :+)

Feast your eyes on a new offering;the incomparable ANGELA DAVIS. A courageous and constant speaker of equality, women's rights, and education.

An·gel·a·   Da·vis /angela davis/     IS

in·del·i·ble/inˈdeləbəl/

Bid.

contribute.

Be Counted.

  To bid on this piece click here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/myungai-2546  

29 BLACK PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW!

Don Cornelius...3/29

I wasn't sure if I should paint Don
Cornelius at first.  I didn't know if his name belonged next to Malcolm
X, or Frederick Douglass.  I mean, how big was his contribution to Black
history?  I quickly realized that Don Cornelius made and enormous
impact on Black culture!  As the creator of 'Soul Train', he was
responsible for amplifying Black pride.  In a society that didn't
produce many Black dolls, posters, or hero's, Soul Train gave Black
people a weekly shot of Black pride.  It gave us a chance to look in the
mirror and appreciate how beautiful we were.  Soul Train was created on
the heels of James Brown's hit "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud!"
This positive energy fueled by the a longing for freedom and dignity,
was propelled by Soul Train. It reinforced how cool it was to be
Black, and to say "right on!", and to rock your afro, and feel like you
were the finest thing since Chaka Khan and Billy Dee Williams. It was
our music that helped us through the middle passage, slavery, and the
civil rights movement.  Soul Train gave our music a special showcase
every week and gave a special stage to all of the great soul singers of
that time.  So, I honor Don Cornelius and his great contribution to our
culture with my portrait, and if you thought Soul Train was just about
dancing well, you just didn't get it!

CHISHOLM.

Here it is yall!

+ Unbought and Unbossed!

+ Catalyst for Change!

+ Ms. Chis. for Pres.!

+ Aim High with Shirley!

Bid.

Contribute.

Be Counted.

Whew! February 2nd wore and bore at me like a greasy lobbyist in an ill-fitting suit! Much ado about nothing though--I'm sure that Shirley Chisholm encountered more than floundering lobbyists and political naysayers campaigning against her campaign for first African-American woman elected to Congress!
Shirley succeeded and went on to eloquently, and some may say, defiantly serve 7 terms! She did it, "Unbossed and Unbought"! She blazed trails and common thought when she deliberately staffed her office with all women--this phenomenal women was truly and inspiration for all. Is it such a surprise that the [supa]natural progression would lead to her running for President? The first African-American woman to do so?!  Catalyst for Change was just one her slogans...hmm, doesn't that have a familiar ring? ;+)
So yeah, it's a little late on this evening, of this second day of February...but would something like that have stopped Shirley? I don't think so! So bid and contribute and be counted.

I will paint 1 great Black person per day during Black History Month!

Each piece will be auctioned and 25% of the proceeds will purchase art supplies for blossoming young artists. Each original piece will be about 16x20 in size, and the starting bid will be $50.

I work at KIPP WAYS Academy in Atlanta. I've been teaching Visual Arts there for 5 years now, and my former students are beginning to go to college. I started to wonder if they had what they needed to practice their craft. Animation majors may need computer equipment, and Fine Art majors may need oil paints. I want to know that I helped them like I was helped when I was younger.

So in addition to honoring great ancestors this painting event will help some students in need, to keep them on the road to success.

1st painting will be posted on tomorrow February 1st!!

I painted this piece in March of 2010.  I knew I wanted add lots of color to the face and hands but, otherwise had no real direction to this painting.  Somehow, all of the paintings I had done before had prepared me to paint this one.  There was magic in the air as i simultaneously painted this and watched season 6 of "24" on dvd.  This painting just seemed to paint itself, and all the while I had this rare feeling that this was the exact thing I should be doing at that moment and in the exact place.  Every now and then when I'm doing something creative I get that feeling, and it's beautiful.  The great thing about this piece was that it sent me in a new direction with my work and it's not something I was methodical about doing, which, I am inclined to do. When I was done, I was amazed.  Like I was seeing it for the first time.  It was similar to the feeling I have when appreciating other artists' amazing work for the first time.  The trumpet was supposed to be gold.  The green was just supposed to be just quietly underneath.  But, I got to a point where I knew it was done, and the trumpet had to be green. Have you ever felt that type of spiritual connection with your creativity?

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• Langston Hughes 14/29
• Ain't I a Woman! ...(no question marks here!) 13/29
• Malcolm X
• Jack Johnson...7/29
• What an exciting weekend- the Giants victory at the Superbowl, fasting, and Painting Angela!
• Lewis Latimer
• Don Cornelius...3/29
• Chisholm
• Work In Progress... image to follow!
• 29 BLACK PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW

• General [1]
• 29 BLACK PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW! [10]