Born in rural Virginia in 1920, Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who was diagnosed and died of aggressive cervical cancer at the youthful age of 31. Without consent from Henrietta and her family, doctors at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore collected her cancer cells, which were discovered to be
Left to Right: “They’ll Say We Enjoyed It,” and “Madame Leroy” by Fabiola Jean-Louis Through her graceful body of work, New York-based artist Fabiola Jean-Louis is Rewriting History. By manipulating photographs, Jean-Louis’s latest series allows us to visualize what fine art between the 15th–19th centuries (typically dominated by White European
“When a black man walks, think of it as a masterpiece, a beautiful song that you may only hear once. Cherish it. You may never hear it again.” These are the haunting words of Neiel Israel from her poem “When a Black Man Walks,” that unfortunately ring true. For National
To celebrate the everlasting legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou on what would have been her 90th birthday, the Google team has created a visually stunning animated short that honors the prolific poet, author, and civil rights activist. In the Doodle, Angelou’s famous “Still I Rise” poem is brought to life
Through digital art, Aisha Mohamed creates rich portraits of black women placed among ethereal, starry backdrops that highlight the elegance of blackness. As part of her new I Am Not My Hair series, the South London-based artist is showcasing the beauty of baldness in black women, which sends out an
Nigerian-British filmmaker Jenn Nkiru’s short film Rebirth Is Necessary is an enthralling work of art. As part of NOWNESS’ Black Star series, the series gave rising directors, such as Nkiru, an opportunity to demonstrate Afrofuturism through their own personal lenses. As the final film in the series, Nkiru leaves
As the highly anticipated portraits of former president Obama and first lady Michelle are unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery on Monday morning, history is made. Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, personally selected by the Obamas, are the first African-Americans commissioned to paint official presidential portraits. The artists
Sundance has unveiled the official lineup to be screened at the 2018 festival, which will occur in Park City, Utah from January 18th-28th. Out of 13,468 submissions, the curated 110 films span across 29 distinct countries, with 47 being from first-time filmmakers. This year, Sundance’s lineup is rich with diversity
On November 4th 2017, the world unexpectedly lost renowned artist Tamara Natalie Madden just two weeks after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Madden’s paintings focused on heightening the everyday person who never had a chance to shine by raising them to the prestige of kings, queens, and warriors. These
From Martin to Rugrats, artist Ashleigh Sharmaine is reimagining well-known TV shows and movies with influence from the ‘90s era. In a recent interview with BET, Sharmaine described the three key ingredients that her art is comprised of: nostalgia, crossovers, and concept mash-ups. With her character crossover illustrations, the artist
