Page 66 - index
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P Patron Profle
“For what shall it proft a man, if he shall gain the The brilliance of African-American art lies in the
whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36 diversity of its full expression of culture. For generations
the stories of the African-American experience have
My love for aesthetic creations had its inception frst been captured through the hands of Black artists.
in music. To paraphrase the words of Longfellow, it Whether using vibrant strokes of color or the simplicity
flled the night and chased away the cares that infested of charcoal, African-American art speaks to humanity
the day. in all its splendor and majesty.
Later, my mind became a fertile ground for the The Honorable Chaka Fattah
wonderful words of Langston Hughes and Countee United States Congressman
Cullen. The intricate musical artistry created by Charlie Mrs. Renee Chenault-Fattah, Esquire
Parker, Bud Powell, Illinois Jacquet and Duke Ellington News Anchor NBC-10
inspired my love for true musical genius and talent. The Philadelphia, PA
magical brush and the gifted chisel of such artists as
Annie Lee, Andrew Turner, Henry O. Tanner, Augusta
Savage and Isaac Scott Hathaway provided beautiful
constructs of African-American life. These are but a few
of the aesthetic masters who have exposed us to the
true “soul” of Black folk and who, through their artistic
contributions, have enhanced my life and strengthened
my soul.
Samuel Ferguson, Ph.D.
Retired University President
San Francisco, CA
Untitled by Gerald Branch
67
66 67
“For what shall it proft a man, if he shall gain the The brilliance of African-American art lies in the
whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36 diversity of its full expression of culture. For generations
the stories of the African-American experience have
My love for aesthetic creations had its inception frst been captured through the hands of Black artists.
in music. To paraphrase the words of Longfellow, it Whether using vibrant strokes of color or the simplicity
flled the night and chased away the cares that infested of charcoal, African-American art speaks to humanity
the day. in all its splendor and majesty.
Later, my mind became a fertile ground for the The Honorable Chaka Fattah
wonderful words of Langston Hughes and Countee United States Congressman
Cullen. The intricate musical artistry created by Charlie Mrs. Renee Chenault-Fattah, Esquire
Parker, Bud Powell, Illinois Jacquet and Duke Ellington News Anchor NBC-10
inspired my love for true musical genius and talent. The Philadelphia, PA
magical brush and the gifted chisel of such artists as
Annie Lee, Andrew Turner, Henry O. Tanner, Augusta
Savage and Isaac Scott Hathaway provided beautiful
constructs of African-American life. These are but a few
of the aesthetic masters who have exposed us to the
true “soul” of Black folk and who, through their artistic
contributions, have enhanced my life and strengthened
my soul.
Samuel Ferguson, Ph.D.
Retired University President
San Francisco, CA
Untitled by Gerald Branch
67
66 67
