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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Part of the series The Black Book

The Black Book Vol. V: Hustle & Flow: A Visual Anthology of Black Labor, Work, and Life

  • This is a past program

A cruel irony underlying myths of the American dream and exceptionalism is the failure to fully acknowledge the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Yet the conditions of that labor are often transformed into sites of agency that allow black people to game the system, or create new games entirely, contributing to globally influential black culture, aesthetics, and resistance. Ernest Hardy and Tisa Bryant assemble a post-hip-hop visual anthology of film, TV clips, and diasporic black music examining the singular history of black labor, work, and life in America.

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