Reinterpretations of Freedom and Emancipation, Civil Rights and Assimilation, and the Continued Struggle for Social and Political Change.

Visual arts play an important role in understanding the Black experience in American History. This article examines various ways in which African American artists reinterpret ideas related to freedom, emancipation and equality. This discussion will include three historical periods: 1) The Civil War era and the fight for freedom and emancipation; 2) The Civil Rights movement, Freedom Summer, and Assimilation in the workplace; and 3) The continued struggle for social and political change in American society today. Various works of art have been selected to accompany this significant discussion that marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]