born Oct. 8, 1930, New York, N.Y., U.S.
U.S. artist, author, and political activist.
She began teaching art in New York's public schools in the 1950s. In 1963 she began her "American People" series of paintings, which dealt with the civil-rights movement from a female perspective. In the 1970s she became active in promoting feminist art and the racial integration of the New York art world. Her famous "story quilts," inspired by Tibetan tankas , depict stories set in the context of African American history. She adapted one of her quilts, Tar Beach , as a children's book and went on to publish other books for children.