The Sugar Shack: The Black Arts Movement

In the wake of the Black Power Movement a group of politically motivated artists, poets, and musicians emerged to ignite what was known as the Black Arts Movement in the mid 1960s. One of the artists who emerged from this era was Ernest Barnes. Known as the “Picasso of the black world,” Barnes was born in Durham, North Carolina, and was known for his artistic expression of the African American lifestyle. “The Sugar Shack” was one of his most widely renowned paintings, since it fully captured the vivid imagination and form Barnes was known for. Consequently, “The Sugar Shack” was one of the most influential pieces to come out of the Black Arts Movement since it depicted the way African Americans utilized rhythm to escape physical tension, how they valued a strong sense of community, and how music from that era empowered them. Promptly after the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, a group known as the cultural nationalists formed in New York City. This new group differed from the existing Black Panther party since they insisted on using visual arts, poetry, and theatre as a means to awaken black consciousness and achieve liberation. Although it began in Harlem, it …show more content…
Barnes chose this particular place and time in history since it portrays the wonders of the Chitlin Circuit. The Circuit was well known for its performance venues and attractions in the region. It offered a safe haven for African American performers to participate in their cultural activities while escaping the troubles of racial segregation. As seen throughout history, African Americans have often used song and dance in order to power through hardship and discrimination. The early seventies and eighties were no different from those past times. “The Sugar Shack” embodied the modern version of the power of using rhythm in order to escape physical and emotional