Aaron Douglas-Painter

Aaron Douglas was a key figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1899, he developed his art career painting murals and creating illustrations that addressed social issues around race and segregation in the United States by utilizing African-centric imagery. Douglas is sometimes referred to as "the father of black American art," as he was a central figure in the development of an artistic vocabulary that generations of African-American artists would use to present their culture and identity on their own terms and to combat popular, racist depictions of African Americans.