Why I'm Painting THE BLACK ABC'S

hi my name is Kendall and I'm painting the Black ABC'S so let's yap about the concept behind this piece for me this work is a commentary on Black education in America at the center of the painting are the Black ABC cards something that I've been drawn to aesthetically for quite some time created in the 1970s by two Black women educators June Sark Heinrich and Bernadette H. Triplett they connected formal education with Black culture and allowed Black students to see themselves reflected in the classroom at the base is an Underground Railroad quilt pattern which I use as a symbol of communication guidance and collective knowledge it references the ways in which Black communities educated ourselves when formal education was unavailable or restricted throughout the painting you'll also see various educational materials like pencils, books, and library cards these objects reference how literacy and access to knowledge were things that were once intentionally denied to Black people I use them to help reinforce the school environment while also acknowledging the historical struggle for education the public library is also recognized as the first integrated building in the nation's capital the library card is my favorite detail because it features Howard University's address which is a place that shaped me as both an artist and a person ultimately this piece is about how Black people created our own paths despite systemic barriers and it shows how we have transformed obstacles into resilience, creativity, and community and that means something to me