Untitled

Barbara Jones-Hogu was an artist, activist, and educator. She was a member of the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC), formed in 1967, and a founding member of the Coalition of Black Revolutionary Artists (COBRA), later renamed the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AFRICOBRA). Jones-Hogu created this woodcut while studying at the Institute of Design (ID, part of Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago). Although the image does not overtly address concerns of the Civil Rights Movement—as do other woodcuts the artist made during this period—its representation of five energized Black figures holding hands anticipates both the animated compositions and powerful messages of unity that characterize her AfriCOBRA color screen prints.