Author Portraits From Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice

Learn more about 16 influential Black writers whose work covers more than 100 years of American history through original works of art created specifically for Dark Testament.

Frederick Douglass (2022) by Damon Reed 2022American Writers Museum

Frederick Douglass by Damon Reed

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was a formerly enslaved person who became a well-known public speaker and author. He used his words to transform a world that often refused to recognize his humanity.

Learn more in our virtual exhibit Frederick Douglass: Agitator

Ida B. Wells (2022) by Dorothy Irene Burge (machine quilted by Judy Wolff) 2022American Writers Museum

Ida B. Wells by Dorothy Irene Burge

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) was a journalist whose reporting on lynching is still important today. Her writing condemned anti-Black violence, and she fought for a better future. The Adinkra symbol at the bottom right stands for strength, resourcefulness, and defiance of oppression.

Paul Laurence Dunbar (2022) by Dorian Sylvain (in collaboration with Celia Bonito and Kari Black) 2022American Writers Museum

Paul Laurence Dunbar by Dorian Sylvain

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) died when he was only 33, leaving behind a literary legacy as one of the foremost Black poets of his day.  The oak leaves represent his first book of poetry, Oak and Ivy, which contained many poems that discussed racial prejudice.  

Ma Rainey (2022) by Bernard Williams 2022American Writers Museum

Ma Rainey by Bernard Williams

Ma Rainey (1886-1939) inspired a generation of Black musicians as the “Songbird of the South.” As one of the earliest blues singers, her music was full of life and soul. She established herself in the music industry as a prolific songwriter and a shrewd businesswoman.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (2022) by Damon Reed 2022American Writers Museum

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper by Damon Reed

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911) was a lifelong advocate for abolition and civil rights for Black people and women. In 1859, Harper became the first known African American woman to publish a short story.

AWMDarkTestament_NellaLarson (2022) by Dorian Sylvain (in collaboration with Celia Bonito and Kari Blak) 2022American Writers Museum

Nella Larsen by Dorian Sylvain

With a white mother and half-sister, Nella Larsen (1891-1964) never felt like she fit in. Her skin was too dark for the immigrant community her mother came from, and too light for the Black community. The hourglass here represents her internal conflict.

Langston Hughes (2022) by Bernard Williams 2022American Writers Museum

Langston Hughes by Bernard Williams

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) used poetry to address racial justice. He was inspired by many things, particularly blues and jazz music. His writing helped shape the Harlem Renaissance. 

Dark Testament_DuBois (2022) by Damon Reed 2022American Writers Museum

W.E.B. Du Bois by Damon Reed

W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) made the case for African Americans to receive full civil rights. Yet, he always felt out of place in the world. When he was in his 90’s, he moved to Accra, Ghana, a country where he felt at home and whose flag is shown here. 

Richard Wright (2022) by Dorothy Irene Burge (machine quilted by Judy Wolff) 2022American Writers Museum

Richard Wright by Dorothy Irene Burge

Richard Wright (1908-1960) was the grandchild of former enslaved people, and was well acquainted with poverty. The Adinkra symbol near Wright’s papers literally means “bite not one another,” which suggests his connection to the Black solidarity movement.

Pauli Murray (2022) by Dorian Sylvain (in collaboration with Celia Bonito and Kari Blak) 2022American Writers Museum

Pauli Murray by Dorian Sylvain

Pauli Murray (1910-1985) was a poet, activist, lawyer, and priest. The cross in the background emphasizes her strong commitment to religion, while the bus in the foreground represents her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.  

Learn more in our virtual exhibit Pauli Murray: Survival with Dignity

Zora Neale Hurston (2022) by Dorothy Irene Burge (machine quilted by Judy Wolff) 2022American Writers Museum

Zora Neale Hurston by Dorothy Irene Burge

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) studied anthropology in college. The Adinkra symbol on her dress represents the supremacy of God over  all beings. This symbol was chosen in reference to Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Ethel Payne (2022) by Damon Reed 2022American Writers Museum

Ethel Payne by Damon Reed

Ethel Payne (1911-1991) was a fearless reporter who would not back down from contentious social issues. She became known as the “First Lady of the Black Press” due to her commitment to justice and journalistic excellence.

James Baldwin (2022) by Bernard Williams 2022American Writers Museum

James Baldwin by Bernard Williams

James Baldwin (1924-1987) was a powerful writer and speaker whose words both captured and influenced the long Civil Rights Movement. After moving to France to finish his novels, he found a sense of belonging there that he didn’t feel in Harlem, New York.

Ralph Ellison (2022) by Dorothy Irene Burge (machine quilted by Judy Wolff) 2022American Writers Museum

Ralph Ellison by Dorothy Irene Burge

Ralph Ellison (1914-1994) wove together elements of Black culture – music, novels, folklore, philosophy, and history – into his famous novel Invisible Man.  The Adinkra symbol near his leg represents toughness in spite of opposition.

Malcolm X (2022) by Bernard Williams 2022American Writers Museum

Malcolm X by Bernard Williams

Malcolm X (1925-1965) redefined the Civil Rights Movement as a fight for human rights. He was a member of the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious group symbolized by the crescent and star. 

Maya Angelou (2022) by Dorian Sylvain (in collaboration with Celia Bonito and Kari Blak) 2022American Writers Museum

Maya Angelou by Dorian Sylvain

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a respected spokesperson for Black people and women. Her slight smile and kind eyes convey the joy and beauty she brought to her writing. While her works touch on many difficult themes, the hope she embraced is symbolized by the flying bird.

Dark Testament Artists (2022) by Carasco PhotographyAmerican Writers Museum

Dark Testament Artists

From Left to Right - Bernard Williams, Damon Reed,  Dorian Sylvain and Dorothy Irene Burge

Dark Testament

The American Writers Museum presents a new exhibit Dark Testament where the words of black writers speak to a fuller, richer story of the human experience, that spans generations of writers. Learn more at americanwritersmuseum.org.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
United States of Culture
From Yosemite to Broadway, take a trip around the States with more than 560 American institutions
View theme
Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites