Jenkins Johnson Gallery announces its West Coast exhibition The Culture From Which I Sprang, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It features work by Dewey Crumpler, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Greg Rick, Andre D. Wagner and Philemona Williamson. The exhibition title is a quote from Richard Wright’s, acclaimed autobiography Black Boy: "This was the culture from which I sprang. This was the terror from which I fled”. Wright’s novel recounts the agonizing years of the Jim Crow Laws between the years of 1912 to 1927 following his childhood and young adulthood. Delving into the complexity of the south from which he “sprung”, Wright grapples with achieving his dream despite being forced into a society and culture that proclaimed otherwise. The signing of the Civil Rights Act not only marked the prohibition of discrimination based on color, race, religion, sex or national origin, but it also gave an end to the Jim Crow Laws. Despite this landmark civil rights and labor law, many achievements and hard-won rights are under threat once again in the 21st century. This exhibition brings artists to the forefront whose work recognizes a call to action, who respect sacrifices of the past while continuing to fight for a vibrant future.

Jenkins Johnson Gallery