February is Black History Month. The national theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” i.e., visual art, music, literature, film, and more. You might call it an Anthology In Black. This culture brought to America by the force of chains and in slave ships has, in many ways, turned America and the world upside down. From the cleverness displayed in negro spirituals, the brilliance of gospel music, and the freedom expressed in the smooth Jazz compositions, to the protest songs of the civil rights and 2020 racial reckoning movements, 

Some are Tony Morrison, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Amanda Gorman. Visual artists Joshua Johnson, Edmonia Lewis, and Horace Pippin are others. Ava DuVernay’s works light the silver screen. These are a few; many other artists punctuate the Anthology in Black.

So much of what makes America the beacon of artistic expression is tied to the Anthology in Black. 

In this issue, share how those influences have impacted your life. Who are your favorite African-American Artistic heroes and/or heroines? How have they changed you? Most importantly, how have they bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice?