Telling a People's Story Exhibit

African-American Children's Illustrated Literature Exhibit

An exhibition devoted to the art within African-American children’s picture books. The selection of approximately 130 works features more than 30 artists, spanning nearly 50 years of creativity.

Organized by the Miami University Art Museum through a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, for the first time, African-American children’s illustrated literature is the focus of a museum exhibition featuring art produced for book illustrations. 

This presentation of this genre offers a lens into the cultural, historical, and social makeup of African-American cultural identity, while also shedding light on the long-neglected world of African-American authors and illustrators in the pantheon of children’s literature. 

Telling A People’s Story addresses:

• The presentation of African-American identity and history in a creative, educational and respectful manner.
• The raising of greater awareness for the role African-American illustrators and authors play in the development and growth of the field of children’s literature.
• The topic of social justice throughout African-American history.
• The need for awareness of the challenges African-American children’s book authors and illustrators face in a field lacking sufficient representation of minorities.
• The importance of appreciating the culture and history of a people who are deeply rooted in the American story.

Special thanks to Community Partners:

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