FREE ESSAY ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACKS TO THE ARTS

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACKS TO THE ARTS

The Contibutions of Black Americans to the Arts
"... Without a continuous bond uniting men, without a continuous current of shared
thought, ... there could be no living worthy of being called human." Richard Wright spoke
these words in his autobiography Black Boy. He, as well as many other black Americans
have displayed exmplemtory talent in the arts. As a matter of fact, blacks have
contributed their talents to the arts, for many years, especially in the areas of
painting, literature, and music
Many people are unaware of the contributions black people have made to the art of
painting. Painters such as Benny Andrews and Jacob Lawerence have expressed the pain and
joys share through their paintings. Jacob Lawerence, whose styles range from
expressionism to cubism, is famous for the painting Grand Performance. The painting show
blacks coming together in the performing arts. On the other hand, Benny Andrews is an
artist that conveys his meaning through allegory. He is, however, known for his
contribution to the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition. He was one of the firsts to start
this organization which protested against the underepresentation of black art.
Another art that blacks influenced is literature. For example, Richard Wright was one of
the first writers to address and protest against the racism problem in America. In his
book, Native Son, he shows how a black boy is driven to kill a white woman. He also wrote
essays for a book written by former communists who were displeased with the party. Most
of his works show the struggles of black Americans. Likewise, novelist Toni Morrison
writes about the struggles of black females. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for
literature and in the late 1980s, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her book
Beloved. This book shows the effects of slavery on a former slave after the war. Morrison
is not the only woman to receive awards for work. Maya Angelou given many awards,
including Grammys in 1994 and 1996. She received the one for the recording of her poem
"On the Pulse of Morning" recited at President Clinton's inauguration and one for
"Phenomenal Woman." She along with many others has shown explemary talent in literature.
Beginning as early as slavery, blacks have impacted music dearly. Jazz, a form of music
stemming from gospel, is a form of expression. One famous jazz musician was the trumpet
player Miles Davis. He was a master impressionist and is known for developing a slower
form of bebop known as "cool jazz." His album "Kind of Blue" is considered to be one of
the finest albums. One of the greatest R&B artists today is Whitney Houston. Her album,
"Whitney" was the first album by a female to debut at number one on the 
American music charts. She became the person to sell ten million copies of her first two
albums. She has received many awards for her music. Another form of music is rap. Rap is
nothing more than poetry performed to music. Although rap is fairly new, people across
the country are interested in it. Queen Latifah is a female rapper that has become famous
in rap. Her music related to the up0lifitng of black females. She has also received
awards such as an American Music Award for female rappers.