Black History Month 2026 | Art & Design Series
I am starting this series because I want to slow down and really look at the people whose creativity, discipline, and vision helped shape Black culture in ways that still influence us today. This year feels especially meaningful. We are marking 100 years since Black history received formal recognition, beginning in 1926 as Negro History Week, established by Carter G. Woodson. What began as a week of intentional learning has grown into Black History Month, and with that growth comes responsibility. Awareness only matters if we continue to deepen it.
I have always had a deep love for Black culture and a genuine respect for those who came before me. The artists, designers, thinkers, and builders who created beauty and meaning, often without recognition, resources, or protection. This series is my way of learning more intentionally and inviting others to do the same. I am not positioning myself as an expert. I am approaching this with curiosity, humility, and gratitude.
While researching Augusta Savage, I realized how little I actually knew about her beyond her name. I had heard it before, but I had never really stopped to understand her impact. Once I did, I found her story impossible to ignore.
Augusta Savage was a sculptor during a time when sculpting itself was a difficult path, especially for women. Being a Black woman in the early twentieth century made that path even narrower. Born in Florida in 1892, she showed artistic talent early, even in the face of resistance from her family and the limitations imposed by segregation. Despite recognition for her work, she was repeatedly denied opportunities that were freely given to white artists, including the chance to study abroad.
What stood out to me most is how she responded to those barriers. Instead of retreating, she built. She taught. She created access. Augusta Savage became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, not only through her own work but through the artists she mentored. She taught and supported creatives like Jacob Lawrence and Norman Lewis, helping shape a generation that would define American art history.
One of the most moving things I learned was about her sculpture The Harp, created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair and inspired by “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The piece was monumental and symbolic, yet like many of her large works, it was destroyed after the exhibition ended. That loss feels heavy, but it also underscores how much of Black artistic legacy has had to survive through memory, documentation, and persistence rather than preservation.
As I continue learning about Augusta Savage, what stays with me is her commitment to community. She believed art should be accessible. She believed in teaching without gatekeeping. She believed in making space for others, even when space was rarely made for her.
This post is not meant to be comprehensive. It is the beginning of a series and an open invitation. Throughout this month, I will continue highlighting Black Americans in art and design whose stories deserve attention, curiosity, and care. I hope you will read, explore, and learn alongside me.
If you would like to discover more about Augusta Savage, here are a few places to start:
Augusta Savage: the extraordinary story of the trailblazing artist
Biography: Augusta Savage https://www.biography.com/artists/augusta-savage
Smithsonian American Art Museum https://americanart.si.edu/artist/augusta-savage-4269
More to come soon.
🤎j
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