"I, Too" is about the segregation of African Americans, whites and how soon segregation will come to an end. The speaker begins by declaring that he too can “sing America,” meaning that he is claiming his right to feel patriotic towards America, even though he is the “darker” brother who cannot sit at the table and must eat in the kitchen.
"Dream Variations" By Langston Hughes
The poem expresses the singer's wish for a carefree life away from color persecution and racial discrimination. The title of the poem suggests Hughes's main theme of the Afro-American dream.
The Shrimp Girl
The Shrimp Girl is a painting by the English artist William Hogarth. It was painted around 1740–45, and is held by the National Gallery, London. [more]
"Cocktails" By Archibald Motley
Motley's aim was to portray the life of African Americans and express the honestly and sincerely of the African Americans, regardless of the activity. There are elegantly-dressed women enjoying a round of drinks. It was a time of prohibition, which meant the manufacture and sale of alcohol was illegal. There is a painting of monks on the wall, which contrasts the women’s liveliness and friendliness and suggests themes of restraint and morality.
Flatford Mill
Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River) is an oil painting by English artist John Constable, painted in 1816. It is Constable's largest exhibition canvas to be painted mainly outdoors, the first of his large "six-foot" paintings [more]
Billie Holiday- Strange Fruit
The song exposes the brutality of racism in America. When the person listening to the song fully grasps the meaning of the song, one remains shocked, angry and disgusted by the imagery portrayed. Billie Holiday’s dark, raspy, and passionate singing voice gives listeners chills and leaves them in awe and shock. The way she sings the song was very effective to express the terror and brutal things people can do to other people.
"The History of America" By Archibald Motley (1938)
The history of America is portrayed in the artwork. This is an oil canvas painting that features a few American historical figures. Abraham Lincoln places a hand on the top of a freed slave’s head. There is a man in blue tights with a rifle in his hand which represents Lincoln’s assassinator. Christopher Columbus is holding a spear and sword. In the background, there is a more modern blue train behind the older train in the background. There is also a large steamship, airship, and an airplane.
Ophelia
Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais, completed between 1851 and 1852. It depicts Ophelia, a character from Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river in Denmark. [more]
The Music Lesson
The Music Lesson or Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman by Jan Vermeer, is a painting of young female pupil receiving the titular music lesson. [more]
