🎨 Visual Artists

Lois Mailou Jones
African American painter of the Harlem Renaissance.

Jasimen Phillips
African American expressionist painter known for her afro-futurist robot portraits and narrative paintings.

Faith Ringgold
African American artist known for narrative quilts.

Amy Sherald
African American Portrait painter known for her portraits of Black Americans, including Michelle Obama.

Kara Walker
African American Visual Artist known for large-scale silhouettes exploring race and identity.

🎭 Performing Artists

Viola Davis
African American actress known for powerful roles in film and theater.

Dionne Robinson
African American playwright and performer known for work exploring identity, culture, and contemporary social themes.

✍🏾 Literary Artists

Octavia Butler
African American science fiction writer known for works exploring race, power, and futurism, including Kindred.

Brittany Frizzelle
African American poet known for work exploring identity, culture, and contemporary Black experience.

Toni Morrison
African American Nobel Prize-winning author exploring Black life and identity.