Black Excellence in Education in the 19th Century

For this work, Caskie, Arsalani, and Warren sourced imagery from the original 1900 Paris Exposition made available through the Library of Congress. In total, they created three shadow boxes: one portrait of Du Bois with the original exhibition of his data visualizations and two others on the topic of Du Bois’ commitment to the education of Black students. The subject of their work is the legacy of Du Bois in teaching, leading, and documenting the educational journey of Black Americans.

Concept: Light and Shadow Boxes

The light boxes represent a visual interpretation of the historical materials. The piece is composed of layered silhouettes derived from historical photographs and LED lights.