Harlem on My Mind: Jacob Lawrence

<p>This Black History Month, Into America launches Harlem on My Mind, a series that follows four figures from Harlem who defined Blackness for themselves and what it means to be Black in America today.</p><p>The story begins in December, when host Trymaine Lee acquires something he coveted for years: a numbered print titled <i>Schomburg Library</i> by American icon Jacob Lawrence. The print came with a handwritten dedication to a man named Abram Hill. Who was Abram Hill? How did he know Jacob Lawrence? Did their paths cross at the famed Schomburg Library?</p><p>What follows is a journey of discovery, through conversations with friends, historians and experts, to understand the interconnected lives of Black creators in and around the Harlem Renaissance. And it starts with Jacob Lawrence, a child of the Great Migration who was nurtured by the great artists and ideas of the period. Two women who knew Lawrence well, art historian Dr. Leslie King-Hammond and artist Barbara Earl Thomas, reflect on his life, death and contributions to Black culture.</p><p>Special thanks to the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. </p><p>Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at intoamerica@nbcuni.com</p><p> </p><p><strong>Further Reading and Listening:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://vimeo.com/336621604" target="_blank">“The World of Jacob Lawrence:” Keynote Address by Dr. Leslie King-Hammond</a></li><li><a href="https://crosscut.com/video/new-normal/seattle-artist-cuts-through-chaos-pandemic" target="_blank">A Seattle artist cuts through the chaos of the pandemic</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdXz_D8t_qs" target="_blank">An Interview with Jacob Lawrence</a></li></ul>