Honoring Black History MontH

by Health Equity Initiative

February is Black History Month. This February, Health Equity Initiative is focused on learning about and listening to/reading/watching the work of Black artists. 
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During times of social and political unrest, art can teach us many important lessons and remind us of important values - love, community, advocacy, resilience, justice, and much more. 

This year during Black History Month (and beyond!), the Health Equity Initiative team invites you to join us in learning from, reflecting on, and celebrating the work and legacy of Black artists. You can find a list of artists below, but please share your own favorite works of art by Black artists on our Health Equity Listserv! 

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Celebrating Black History Month Through the Arts! 

• Gil Scott-Heron was a poet and musician known for his spoken word poetry. He was associated with the Last Poets, a group committed to social justice. 
• Maya Angelou was an author, poet, and civil rights activist. Her autobiographical writing, specifically the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, explored themes of racism, childhood trauma, and personal strength.
• Alvin Ailey was a dancer, director, choreographer, and activist. He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which can be visited in New York City today. 
• Kara Walker is a contemporary artist known for her installations of black-cut paper silhouettes. Her work explores race, gender, identity, sexuality, and violence. 
• Toni Morrison was a novelist and editor. She wrote her first novel, The Bluest Eye, at 39 years old, and was the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. 
• Nikki Giovanni was a world-renowned poet and writer. She was one of the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement, which influenced her books of poetry - Black Judgement and Those Who Ride the Night Winds.
• Billie Holiday was an influential jazz and swing singer who held courageous views on inequality and justice.
• Emory Douglas is a graphic artist and former minister of Culture and Revolutionary Artist for the Black Panther Party.
• Langston Hughes was a poet and novelist, and a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance. His work portrayed the joys and hardships of working-class Black lives. 
• Aaron Douglas was an artist often referred to as the “Father of Black American Art” for his role in the Harlem Renaissance.
• Louis Armstrong was a vocalist and trumpeter. His records are the most influential in jazz. 

​Image Credit
Unsplash, Gracious Adebayo: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-silhouette-of-a-man-playing-a-saxophone-zAPbXrhIfTU