Jul 4
Emma Amos includes herself in this work, floating against the backdrop of a giant American flag. In place of the field of stars is an enlarged reproduction of a photograph of Black laborers in the rural south during the Great Depression. Yellow stars float across the composition, secured by a border of fabric with alternating printed portraits of Malcolm X. A prominent red equal sign in the center of the work links Amos with the Black figures in the photograph and connects resurgent calls for equal rights with the long history of Black freedom struggles in the United States.
Learn more about this pioneering artist, educator, and activist in “Emma Amos: Color Odyssey” through January 17.
“Equals,” 1982, by Emma Amos (Private collection)
