(1918–79), African American artist who specialized in graphic art. He took it upon himself to honor the achievements of African Americans and to depict their suffering. Born in Chicago on April 2, 1918, White studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and then worked as an artist for the Work Projects Administration. White won a Rosenwald fellowship at the age of 23, and worked in the southern United States with his wife, the sculptor Elizabeth Catlett. There he completed a mural, now owned by the Hampton Institute in Virginia, called ‘Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy' (1943). His work showed the influence of Alain Locke's review of the Harlem Renaissance called ‘The New Negro'. The artist also dealt with social issues such as civil rights and depicted black people who demonstrated particular courage. White was drafted into the military, and while his regiment worked to contain the flooding Mississippi River in 1944, White was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was hospitalized for three years. In 1952, White won an Academy-Institute Award in Art from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He taught at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles beginning in 1965. In 1967 ‘Images of Dignity', a book of White's works, was published. In 1972 he became only the second African American artist to be elected to the National Academy of Design since the 1927 election of Henry Ossawa Tanner. He traveled to Europe with his second wife, Frances Barrett, where he was hailed for his work. Much of his art was in black and white. Examples include ‘Let's Walk Together', ‘Women', and ‘Gospel Singer'. White died on Oct. 3, 1979.