More than 50 years after the release of the second volume of Black Artist on Art, I have come to preserve and continue the legacy. A legacy that represents more than just the work of my grandmother Dr. Samella Lewis; but the legacy of the Black Arts Movement (BAM), it’s growth and development, over the decades. Like so many of my fellow artists, I am proof that BAM has been moving like the underground railroad. The fact that Black people continue to face the same issues in today’s society that our predecessors faced in the sixties, indicates to me, that we must relentlessly press on. The struggle continues, as black people in the Diaspora address the same beast of discrimination that continues to threaten our lives, and the wellbeing of our children. We are still a marginalized people whose historical contribution is not properly taught in schools. Our accomplishments are undermined, while our creative genius is routinely plagiarized. Our blood flows daily in the streets of this still segregated nation, at the hands of a system that has no regard for us. A system that has no intention of seeing us living out our full potential. It is now, as it has always been, up to us to protect and preserve our legacy, culture and story. We take on this responsibility so that future generations will understand, with accuracy, the heritage that so many of our heroes have sacrificed their lives to bequeath to us.

– Unity Lewis