Paintings by Jacob Lawrence
With a Poem in appreciation by Walter Dean Myers
Between 1940 and 1940 a young African American artist named Jacob Lawrence produced a series of 60 paintings that told a story of the great migration. Lawrence himself was living in Harlem, New York City but had been born in Pittsburg after his parents met traveling up from Virginia and South Carolina. The great migration is a neglected part of American history; dominant culture has not made these stories mainstream. The exodus of huge numbers of African-Americans who left the rural south in search of a better life in the industrial north directly impacts the socio-economic dynamics of our cities today. This book serves an important purpose in putting Lawrence’s visual narrative in the hands of readers.
This text could be used at many levels of school; the images and text can be interpreted at deeper levels of complexity depending on grade level. The paintings tell a story in order; the show the struggles and successes of the migrants as they travel north. Teachers could use perspective taking strategies open dialogue around the multiple viewpoints presented in the text; the black workers in the south, the established black residents in the north, the railroad conductors, the white bosses who were losing their labor, the white workers who had more job competition with the arrival of black workers…
An additional layer of interpretation can be added when readers consider that this narrative was produced by a young African-American artist. What does it mean when people of color are able to share their stories? How does this contrast to white-dominated narratives of history?
Finally the text ends with the poignant statement; “People all over the world are still on the move, trying to build better lives for themselves and for their families.” Migration continues to be a huge talking point in our culture. This text could be used to springboard into discussion of other migration issues presented in the media today.
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