Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1917 and moved to Harlem as a youth to live with his mother, a woman dedicated to the education of her children. He attended the Harlem Community Art Center.

Jacob Lawrence chronicled the African American cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. It was a time of vitality and imagination steeped in new-found freedom, opportunity, and challenge. In saturated colors, movement and pattern, Jacob Lawrence painted the life of the working class along busy Harlem streets filled with tenements and frequented places. He documented his vision of poverty, crime, racial tension, and police brutality at the intersection of being Black and being American. In crowded compositions that pull our eyes in every direction, he painted much for us to see and still consider.

In addition, Jacob Lawrence painted the Great Migration Series on the movement north that pre-dates this Renaissance and brought many to Harlem. His paintings are in major museum collections around the country.  He was a gifted teacher and held an art professorship at the University of Washington from 1970-1985. He died in Seattle in 2000.

We are again grateful to an artist who shared his talent and perspective, his imagination and beauty with us and to our God of creativity and every good inspiration. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,

Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church