Heart of Darkness to Hope

Douglas, Aaron.  Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery through Reconstruction, 1934

This painting is extremely interesting.  This painting is a timeline of African American experiences over a long period of time.  On the left slavery has been depicted and then all the way on the right we have the introduction of Jazz and a couple dancing the Charleston.  In the center of the painting is a man preaching to a crowd, most likely a representation of the abolitionist movement.  To the right and left of the man faded into the yellow background there are army troops.  The faded troops is perhaps a commentary of the ineffectiveness of the Civil War.  When this painting came out slavery had been abolished for nearly 70 years yet most African Americans did not have the rights of American citizens.  Even with the disappointing lack of rights after slavery was abolished  at the end of the Civil War the couple on the right playing the trumpet and dancing convey the high spirits many were able to keep.