Malcolm X Speaks for Us

'Malcolm X Speaks for Us' represents Elizabeth Catlett’s dedication to using art as a political tool. In the sixties and seventies, she created a series of images in response to the Civil Rights Movement. While she was inspired by such leaders as Malcolm X, she felt that these men underemphasized the empowerment of black women. In this work, Catlett features the dignified faces of African American women, including a character from her 'Negro Woman' series (1947), alongside Malcolm X to convey that women, too, are part of his message of black liberation. This print also demonstrates the shift in Catlett’s graphic art, from the black-and-white prints of the New Deal era to the boldly colored works of her later career. In 1983, Catlett received the Brandywine Workshop’s James Van Der Zee Award for her achievements in printmaking.