by Dr. Jeff Donaldson
Dr. Jeff Donaldson, was a founding member of Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC) and African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCobra). He was born December 15, 1932 in Pine Bluffs, Arkansas. He has studied at the University of Arkansas, where he received a B.A. degree in studio art. He later earned a M.S. degree in art education from the Illinois Institute of Technoloy (1963), and a Ph.D. degree in art history from Northwestern University (1973).
Donaldson was a key figure in the establishment of the Black arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Its 1967 outdoor mural, Wall of Respect, featured Black historical figures and launched a new trend of mural painting in urban communities across the country. After serving as guest lecturer at Northwestern University form 1968-1970, Donaldson became the chairman of the art department at Howard University. He was the dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard.