Romare Bearden was born on September 2, 1911, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, into a middle-class, African-American family. When he was three, his family moved to Harlem, New York City's center of black culture. Bearden called New York his home, but for most of his youth continued to visit relatives in North Carolina and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he was older, he spent part of each year on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Bearden’s memories of past events and favorite places all became inspiration for his artwork.