Black History Heroes : Portraits Inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Artistry

by Sydney Rivera, M.S. Ed.

In social studies, the Dolphin Classroom has been learning about historical figures in American Black History. We explored individuals from different professions and made sure to not only celebrate their contributions to society, but to also celebrate their uniqueness and qualities as a person. The students learned about Black artists, scientists, activists, athletes, writers, and leaders from both the past & present. They began to deeply admire these individual’s talents, as well as acknowledge the racial obstacles they had to overcome in order to achieve their goals. 

For our end of unit project, students were assigned one Black History Hero and created a portrait of that person using the artistic influence of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Jean-Michel Basquiat was known for his vibrant portraits of ordinary people sitting on a throne, while wearing a crown over their heads to represent their importance and value. The students have shown a love for Baquiat’s royalty portraits and wanted to create their own interpretation of his artwork. After creating their portraits, they were each asked the question: “Why is this person a hero to you?”

Common themes included: 

• Bravery
• Hard work
• Talent
• Doing the right thing even if it was hard