During the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, Aaron Douglas successfully demonstrated
through his paintings the African American’s struggle and their hope for a better future.
Indeed, his artwork was a huge contribution toward the movement, which encouraged
African Americans to topple down the oppressive system and fight for their equality. One
of his most famous paintings, “Song of the Towers” expresses their desire of being
recognized in the contemporaneous society. The painting also conveys a message about
racial consciousness and what it means to be an American.
Firstly, in “Song of the Towers”, Douglas purposely creates different layers of color
horizontally and vertically to imply the wrong perceptions of the society about African
Americans. In fact, on the outside of the painting, Douglas uses the dark colors such as:
black, and brown. However, the color tends to be neutralized and brighter as the audiences
move their focus to the central of the picture. Indeed, in the middle, the color becomes
light purple, light blue and finally bright yellow. The changes in color highlight the
contrast between the stereotype and the real personality of African Americans. In the
1920s, African Americans were put down and treated poorly because of their skin color.
They were viewed as the outcasts in the society, the least educated. Indeed, they were
usually the ones who took the blame for many brutal incidents. However, the society
perception was not accurate since not all African Americans were the same. They were
also friendly, kind if others were willing to get to know them. In fact, many African
