AUGUSTA SAVAGE.

A prime creative of the Harlem Renaissance, a flourisher of the black body, an advocate for the people, an inspiration to me; Augusta Savage.

“I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work.”―Savage.

It was almost as if, she had not truly realized the value in which her work embodied, nor the historical movement she was both living in and endlessly contributing to. As I read Ms. Savage’s words, I am given the sense that she simply loved to create, and if her creation could inspire the youth then she would live through them forever; I like to tell myself,

she made love with her purpose.

Augusta Savage always saw the purpose in others, but she especially fought for people she viewed as a reflection of herself. Her very first form of activism took place in 1923 when she was denied acceptance of a program in France after finding out her racial identity and even after their admiration of her work. She courageously became the first black woman to resist the very art world in which she hoped to become a part of. Racial exclusion was all she needed to experience to know that it was pivotal to her journey that she help anyone in her community hoping to learn art. And her first step as a force, to say the least, was also courageous. Ms. Savage opened an art school in her studio, in Harlem, with no hesitation, during the Depression. Classes were free because it was never about the money to Augusta Savage; let’s emphasize on the actuality that she moved to New York City with only $4.60 to her name. In that very moment, all she truly cared about was giving back to the community, and her way of doing so was by providing black youth and kinfolk a safe environment to create, and explore─that denial of acceptance solely due to her race was beyond ‘just her’ and it was now in her hands to teach the extraordinary.

As she said, we all have talents in our being; we all have that something that tingles our souls like wildfire. Green Cove Springs was the then small town that Augusta Savage spent her girlhood; the red, clay-type soil arising from the Northeast Florida land was her first form of media─it posed as her introduction to art. The very dirt her bare soles once upon a time played across became an immortal segment upon her path to expression.

And just as Ms. Savage, my ‘somethings’ are also art & activism, along with literature. It’s almost an understatement to say that Augusta Savage has inspired my artistry. I first learned of her name in middle school, so approximately nine years ago; the sight of her sculptures and witnessing of empowerment to our people took an instant influence on me. Oddly enough, sculpting wasn’t the form of art I took on as an artist―in fact, I’ve accurately only carved and modeled one sculpture. Yet, even then, at that moment, I remember thinking of Ms. Savage and mesmerizing over my piece as if it were her very own work; such an innocent and pure memory.

I’m a painter. I draw. I even incorporate my poetry and writing within my work. I love exploring with colors, working on canvas, and sketching cartoons―its safe to say that my style of expression is pretty different when compared to Augusta Savage’s, who created realism art with materials such as plaster and bronze coloring. And while our mediums are so diverse from one another, she has still taught me so much of value because I’ve been more influenced by her as an individual rather than an artist.

As an artist, she was one of the very first to bring racial awareness to the development of physiognomy through the art world. Again, she was a pioneer of the beautiful movement in which we acknowledge as the Harlem Renaissance. She was the creative educator and establisher of the Savage Studio of Art and Crafts and the first director of the Harlem Community Art Center. She was also the first African American woman of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, one of the oldest arts organizations in the U.S., created by women for women and their battle against discrimination. And among far more, Augusta Savage stands as the teacher and encourager of many of her male (and female) counterparts, whose names still ring bells today.

Those are only some of her accomplishments, or rather, contributions, as an artist.

Imagine her weight as a person.

Augusta Savage was a formidable force. She was powerful in voice and respected by her community because she always found a way to empower the people within it. Whether she was encouraging others to emerge into the uprising movement, making art for African Americans to recognize the beauty in their physical attributes, or giving people the opportunity to empower themselves through their own art, she was committed.

Ms. Savage knew the movement was a turning point in the cultural region of American history; she knew this time allowed the world to witness the proper representation of the black experience as well as the variety of talents within the culture―it was the perfect time to express resilience, share intellect, rise as creatives, and live through their authenticity. The Harlem Renaissance was a time to enhance the self-esteem and social positivity of African American people, especially while enforcement such as Jim Crow Laws were taking place; Augusta Savage viewed this as the time to uplift her people through their own abilities.

For them: she opened a gallery to include and provide a space for upcoming artists.

For them: she provided free workshops open to anyone in Harlem, or NYC as a whole.

For them: she instilled the importance of self-worth and self-assurance into her students, regardless of age.

For them: she both rewardingly and successfully fought for the inclusion of black artists in public Works Progress Administration projects.

For them: she worked with children through art classes, free of charge, until her death.

She is one of the reasons I am an artist.

A social activist, member of the NAACP, volunteer in my community, annual youth’s art teacher. Augusta Savage is the inspiration to why I love telling my story of womanhood and of blackness through art. Because through her art, she has taught me that being a woman is beautiful and so is the skin I am in. In other words, she is my influencer when it comes to beautifying and normalizing the black image―because our bodies are so often criminalized, misunderstood, and categorized. Ms. Savage always stated that her legacy was going to live and breathe through the youth, the next generation, the students. And it has, I am living proof. And there are so many others out there like me. Because of her teachings, I also tend to encourage every artist I cross paths with to get their work out into the world and simply believe in their craft. Especially the youth; I see so much potential in them; in the little girls, little boys, brown and black kids, all of them. My hopes for them aren’t far from Ms. Savage’s very own―every and anyone should be given the chance to share their gift with the world, no matter how small or big their moment may be. And just as she believed, I also believe that racial identity, gender, or economic class should have no bearing on one’s passion or creative abilities.

I’ve learned so much from her, she has taught me to forever live in my truth and I can only thank her for doing such.

So, thank you.

Thank you for giving me and other ‘youngsters’ the blueprint―of struggling with either poverty, racism, or inequality and still striving toward creative potential and aspiration. Thank you for teaching me, teaching us, that there is always better than what we know as our ‘now.’

Thank you for reminding me of my value as a creative. For enriching my persistence. For allowing me to view my body through your lens. For telling me that my artwork is important and worthy of display. For fighting for me―in the art world, in history, in the public eye.

And please know, I do not just speak for myself.

Augusta Savage,

Thank you.