The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is unique within the New York Public Library system. We collect paintings, sculptures, drawings, fine art prints, as well as ephemeral and material culture items focused on African American, African Diasporic, and African experiences. We have fifteen thousand pieces in our collection in the Art and Artifacts Division. Right now, Elizabeth Catlett’s Political Prisoner (1971) is speaking to me. The work has a lot of symbolism and speaks to the fortitude of Black women. I like that Catlett painted the red, black, and green in her guts. I like to say: “It’s in her.” That is a strong statement. Of course, her hands are shackled at the back. So, in the front, she looks confident and strong, yet she is shackled. That’s partially the story of Black women’s life in this country, it seems...
