Tonya Bolden provides a dynamic introduction to a wide range of Black American artists in a volume that is visually dazzling and intellectually stimulating. Bolden has chosen artists to represent “a range of human experiences and mediums used.” Each chapter explores a selection of artists as the narrative moves chronologically from the late eighteenth century to contemporary times. Rather than creating biographical profiles for each artist, Bolden has woven elements of their life story into her exploration of the art created during each period in the history of African American art that she outlines. She examines the lives of selected artists more fully in sidebars. She also provides thoughtful narratives about the works of art reproduced in the volume, encouraging readers to think about the connection between art and life. Among the works of art shown is a photograph of August Savage’s marvelous sculpture Lift Every Voice and Sing , created for the 1939 World’s Fair. The piece was destroyed after the fair along with the temporary building in which it had been housed because Savage did not have the resources to move and store her monumental work. That story alone underscores the importance of this volume that introduces young adults to important voices and visions in African American art. (Ages 11–16)

This book highlights influential and important African American 20th-century artists, from those of the early part of the century who were actively discouraged from pursuing their talent, to important participants in the Harlem Renaissance to modern and contemporary artists. The text also includes sidebars highlighting individual pictures and creators, completing a wonderful chapter in the history of American art and in African American life and achievement. Published in conjunction with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the nation's greatest repository of African American art, the book includes works by Romare Bearden, Roy DeCarava, Betye Saar, and Augusta Savage, among many others. From Faith Ringgold's fabric interpretation of the Harlem Renaissance to Gordon Parks' celebrated 1996 photograph of Muhammad Ali, the paintings, sculptures, and photographs reproduced here reflect the rich and varied experience of African American artists in the 20th century.