Created by
Lawrence, Carolyn Mims, American, born 1940
Subject of
AfriCOBRA, founded 1968
Signed by
Lawrence, Carolyn Mims, American, born 1940
Williams, Gerald, American, born 1941
Jones-Henderson, Napoleon, American, born 1943
Jarrell, Jae, American, born 1935
Mallory, Howard R. Jr., American, 1930 - 2012
Jones-Hogu, Barbara, American, 1938 - 2017
Date
1971
Medium
printing ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 30 × 24 in. (76.2 × 61 cm)
Caption
Carolyn Mims Lawrence was an original member of the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA), an American artist collective founded in 1968. AfriCOBRA’s primary mission was “the liberation of Black people through the arts.” The group espoused several visual and philosophical principals, including promoting positive aspects of African and African American history and culture. Uphold Your Men is an excellent example of AfriCOBRA’s interest in reflecting Black beauty and heritage through imagery. For example, the woman in Lawrence’s print wears her hair in the afro style, and her necklace is adorned with an ankh, an ancient Egyptian symbol that means life. Her incorporation of bold, graphic text also emphasizes the importance of unity within African American communities, in this instance, the essential role Black men occupy within the family unit.
Description
This colorful silk screen print depicts a female figure wearing a long red dress in the center of the image. She wears a blue ankh necklace, an Afro hairstyle, and has a spiral symbol on her forehead. She stands with her arms crossed, against a red and orange background with graphic shapes and letters in bright yellow, blue, and green with black accents. The letters spell out [UPHOLD YOUR MEN] across the top and [UNIFY YOUR FAMILIES] across the bottom. The artist's signature is in blue in the bottom right corner of the image. The print is also signed along the bottom margin in pencil by the artist and several AfriCOBRA members: Gerald Williams, Napoleon Henderson, Jae Jarrell, Howard R. Mallory, Jr. and Barbara Jones-Hogu.
Place made
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Visual Arts
Movement
BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976)
Type
screen prints
Topic
Art
Families
Gender
Men
Resistance
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.130.4
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown – Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5e2e6a471-7aa5-4d9c-86a4-1b09f63599c9

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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