YEBies Birthday: James Amos Porter (1905-1970)

On this date in 1905 James Amos Porter was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He's known for writing the definitive book, Modern Negro Art (1943, 1969, 1992). He was also head of The Department of Art at Howard University from 1953-1970. Porter is one of the most well known painters and historian of African American art. He was instrumental as the first scholar to provide a systematic, critical analysis of African-American artists and their works of art.