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Hope for the Future

1945
Not on view
Created while White was an artist in residence at Howard University in Washington, D.C., this lithograph illustrates the hopelessness felt by Blacks during this time. A sorrowful mother holds up her child, the "hope for the future," in large protective arms. Although the title indicates an optimistic outcome, the view through the window suggests just the opposite. Under cold gray skies, a lone leafless tree inhabits a barren lifeless world. The noose tied to its branches is a chilling reminder of the lynchings taking place in the South and an indication of the newborn's uncertain fate.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Hope for the Future
  • Artist: Charles Wilbert White (American, Chicago, Illinois 1918–1979 Los Angeles, California)
  • Date: 1945
  • Medium: Lithograph
  • Edition: From an edition of 27
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 18 7/8 × 12 5/8 in. (48 × 32 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 1999
  • Object Number: 1999.529.183
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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Jessica, Charles Wilbert White American, Etching and drypoint
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Matriarch
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Frederick Douglass, Charles Wilbert White American, Lithograph on Maraiz paper
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Melinda, Charles Wilbert White American, Etching and drypoint
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Elijah, Charles Wilbert White American, Etching and drypoint
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