Jacob Lawrence

In the Heart of the Black Belt

Jacob Lawrence created his most prolific works of social realism in the mid twentieth century; under the last vestiges of the Harlem Renaissance and in the early beginnings of modern abstraction. Lawrence's relationship to both movements birthed his unique approach to narrative portraiture.

This work is part of a ten-painting series by Lawrence, created for Fortune magazine. The series documented the experience of Black southern life. While working on the paintings, Lawrence observed that "Negroes ... are working hard to obtain equality of economic, educational, and social status, which has been denied several millions of Negroes over three hundred years."

In this work, travelers are seen boarding vehicles and anxiously anticipating their journeys. The posture of his figures, their intermittently downcast faces and workman's attire evokes the reality of Black life.