Nicknamed the Griot, renowned artist and activist, John Outterbridge told powerful stories through art.
Karen Hudson, Williams granddaughter and the family historian, had removed many of the documents to work on a book about her grandfather s legacy, Paul R. Williams, Architect. He was a gentle man with a dream who believed that if he could please his clients, that was his value as an architect, she said.
He was the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects and the first to receive its highest honor Gold Medal, posthumously in 2017. That is when his granddaughter issued a challenge upon accepting it on his behalf: to accept more Black architects.
Illustrator Monica Ahanonu says she s always been inspired by the poetry of Audre Lorde, so the local artist was honored to be chosen to helm the Google Doodle dedicated to Lorde.
He would become a pillar of the assemblage arts movement, using found objects, passed off materials others viewed as junk, to make masterpieces. He describes the time period of the 60s as being a time when he learned that art was not just for his self expression, but that he could use it as a tool to begin to hold America accountable for what America said it wanted to be, Tami said.
WENN.com
Did you know that before Black History Month was made official in 1976, it was celebrated for just one week in February each year?
A quick history lesson on why Black History Month is in February
If you’re wondering why Black History Month is in February––the shortest month in the entire year––you’re not alone. It all started nearly 100 years ago with Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Black historian considered the ‘Father of Black History.’ In 1926, Woodson founded Negro History Week during a particular week in February that spanned the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.