An Artist for MLK Day

This morning I just discovered the marvelous works of artist Brian Washington, which made me aware again of how little I know. His works are in the collections of several museums and famous people. Mr. Washington is an African American lawyer by profession, but a fine artist by avocation. Working in charcoal, he has created a series of works on the rise of blacks from sharecropping to freedom fighters. In all of them he has captured their patience and dignity as they rise above their current circumstances.

You can see his works at http://www.brianwashington.com/continual-struggle/works.

I especially urge you to click onto the Interactive Tour bar because it includes his comments on each picture and its background. This Tour is a great way to celebrate MLK Day, or to honor on any day, the brave women and men who pushed this country closer to Dr. King’s great Dream.

Now in his mid 30s and fighting a disease, here is a work he created when he was just 17!

“Hurting a Nation” is this young man’s comment on how Liberty is crucified by those racists who persist in persecuting blacks. His collection called “The Continual Struggle” begins with share croppers and moves on the scenes of the brave women and men fighting for freedom and equality in the Civil Rights Movement. Many of these pictures brought to my mind memories of the brave souls I met and worked with when I participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project. Treat yourself to an inspiring experience by seeing this wonderful art collection.

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