Charles White was born on April 2, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois. A masterful draftsman and painter, White began his professional career creating murals for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Deeply influenced by Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, White used his art to portray the dignity, struggle, and strength of African Americans. His most notable works include “The Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy”, a mural at Hampton University. He later taught at Otis Art Institute, mentoring artists like Kerry James Marshall. White passed away on October 3, 1979, but his legacy lives on through powerful imagery and social commentary in art.
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