The African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists or AfriCOBRA emerged from Chicago's South Side during the turbulent period of the late 1960's. "Our response was to cull a vision, attitude and worldview that was not reactionary," said AfriCOBRA co-founder, Gerald Williams. "We were changing the paradigm." The movement of "art for the people" created a new visual language that stood in stark contrast to the European-centered standards dominating the mainstream art world.
"It was a celebration of Blackness and Black beauty," said Jane Rhodes, Black Studies Professor at University of Illinois Chicago.
In this WGN-TV Cover Story, Gaynor Hall and photojournalist Ted Parra take a look at the impact of the collective that inspired creators in Chicago and beyond.
