This Day in Black Art History — February 9

Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000)
Narrative Painting, Migration, and the Archive of Black Movement

February 9 invites reflection on the legacy of Jacob Lawrence, whose bold visual storytelling transformed historical memory into color, rhythm, and form. Through works like The Migration Series, Lawrence constructed a painted archive of Black life — turning collective movement, struggle, and hope into a visual language that continues to influence contemporary artists, curators, and archivists. His work reminds us that history is not only written — it is composed through image, sequence, and cultural memory.

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Annotation — ART | library deco Series
“This Day in Black Art History” is an educational editorial series by ART | library deco highlighting moments where Black art, archives, and cultural memory intersect. Each entry reflects the role of artists and cultural workers in shaping the visual record of Black history while connecting historical artworks to contemporary archival practice.

SOURCE: African American Registry — Jacob Lawrence biography and historical archives; The Phillips Collection — The Migration Series, Panel no. 45: The migrants arrived in Pittsburgh, one of the great industrial centers of the North
IMAGE CREDIT: Jacob Lawrence, The Migration Series, Panel no. 45, 1940–41. The Phillips Collection.
BLOG COVER IMAGE SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons — Jacob Lawrence Image Category (Creative Commons / Public Domain where indicated).
RIGHTS: Educational use — ART | library deco Digital Library

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RESOURCE: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Department of Education — Jacob Lawrence: Migration Series curriculum guide (PDF).

RESOURCE:
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series — Educational Resource PDF. The Museum of Modern Art Learning & Courses Materials. Available via MoMA Education Publications: https://www.moma.org/momaorg/shared/pdfs/docs/learn/courses/Lawrence_Migration.pdf