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International African American Museum

re/Defined

Creative Expressions of Blackness from the Diaspora

June 12, 2025 - January 4, 2026

Across the Atlantic World—from West Africa and Europe to the Americas—Black creatives have been at the forefront of defining what it means to be Black. re/Defined examines how artists from the U.S. and the broader African Diaspora have challenged stereotypes by preserving African traditions, resisting systemic oppression, and activating audiences. Through the mediums of fine art, adornment, music, and storytelling, this exhibition showcases how Black creatives have shaped cultural narratives and used their work to advocate for the communities to which they belong.

The African Diaspora—formed through the Transatlantic slave trade and following migrations—has been a powerful force in shaping and sharing cultural traditions, ideas, and aesthetics across the globe. Throughout the Diaspora, Black artists have resisted assimilation by preserving African cultures and transforming traditional West African creative expressions into new, evolving representations of culture. Artistic expression has also provided a way for Black creatives to occupy space and use their platforms to fight racism and other legacies of colonialism and slavery. Artists took control of racialized portrayals of Blackness and countered racist stereotypes by developing new imagery, advocating for racial pride, and expanding the representation of Black people.

Through these creative expressions, African art, music, and style echo, showing how Black culture is interconnected and continually exchanged across the Diaspora.

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