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Black History Month
The Importance of Modern Black Artists in the Canon of Collective HistoryBlack History Month exists far outside the celebration of just Black Americans. It dreams of a holistic, collective respect and love of Black culture in and out of the United States. It honors black innovation, art, expression and tradition globally.
In the US, out of a likely desire for political correctness or politeness, we often default to "African American" when talking about Black people in America, and it isn't uncommon to use "African American" and “Black” interchangeably. However, especially in the context of art, it is important to understand that, in doing this, there is a crucial forgetting of nuance when discussing race both in America and on a global scale. It decontextualizes varied and complex individual experiences while disinheriting the people who have excelled and propelled history forward of their celebration
In a desire to appreciate the full scope of Black artists as they critique the past, present, and future canon of collective history, it would be injudicious to forsake the breadth of contributions found in a celebration of Black Art.
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Learn more about Derrick Okanta
Honoring Black History with artist DERRICK OKANTA: The Importance of Modern Black Artists in the Canon of Collective History
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