American art shows us the reality and effects of racism and slavery, and often points the way to social justice.
Teaching guide
Thomas Hovenden, The Last Moments of John Brown
A figure who has polarized political opinion from the Civil War to today
Turning Uncle Tom’s Cabin upside down
A Greek myth and the American anti-Slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin combine to upend our own contemporary myths
A beacon of hope
One of two panels to survive the Texas Centennial, pointing to a future free of racism.
A memorial to Civil Rights martyrs
An unflinching memorial to civil rights martyrs by the contemporary artist Thorton Dial
John Brown, Martyr or murderer?
John Brown has polarized political opinion from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement.
Horace Pippin, Mr. Prejudice
The ongoing struggle against discrimination in the U.S. undermined the sense of victory for African Americans in both world wars.
Teaching guide
Horace Pippin, Mr. Prejudice
Pippin, like many other black Americans, fought bravely for democracy in World War I and yet there would be no real victory without winning the struggle for equality in the U.S.
Teaching guide
Benny Andrews, Flag Day
Does the figure emerge from the flag, or does it imprison him?
A Muslim among the founding fathers
How a portrait of an African Muslim came to hang side-by-side with the founding fathers in one of America's earliest museums.