. . . . .

I was familiar with Charles White's paintings from the Art Institute but I did not know much about him besides his art. I enjoyed reading about his life and his activism. This is a well written biography with plenty of illustrations for those not familiar his work. Anyone with an interest in art will enjoy this book.

What a wonderful, expansive and in-depth review of Charles White, who was more than one of the greatest African American artists of the 20th century.
Introduced as revelatory reassessment, I cannot judge for to my shame I had never heard of him, Charles White 1918-1979).
This is a collection of essays about his life and work with the narrative kept separate from 3 distinct collections of plates that show is wide-ranging work and skill. In this way apart from small examples to illustrate the writing your left to read and appreciate the art in two different ways. Some books in my opinion fail because your eyes move from text to illustrations and photographs more readily if within your reading. A bit like a Rupert Bear annual, where you could assume and follow the story in just the pictures and their rhyming couplets.
Perhaps because I'm not from the States or of Black African decent that I had not heard of Charles White. But having read this account I will never forget him.
The book covers many aspects of his life, his work and sense of injustice. Through his bold, large murals to his telling drawings of the people who typified his people and their ongoing struggle.
There is an interesting piece on the feminist agenda which he embraced and some wonderful examples of photographs that can be seen perhaps as more objective and a visual moment in time.
Finally, another couple of essays reflecting his activism, his artist legacy and as an educator, teaching others.
I am amazed about his humble beginnings and his passion for reading when the local library was his safe place and unsupervised childcare. He understood the history and the people of the struggle and used his skill to highlight it in visual art. He recognised talent and embraced all who strived to better things or challenge inequalities through music, demonstrations or politics.
A pleasure to embrace, although not necessarily designed as an autobiographical read, the scholarship and research points up to it being a definitive work about Charles White that can be readily accessed. Due to its structure, including an informative chronological history of events in his life. This is the likely go to book in the future for many aspects on the 20th century as Charles White was much more than the sum of his parts and this book reassesses it all.