In making the transition from slave craftsman to professional artist, the black artist was treading an even rougher path than he had followed in crafts. That the black artists had ability in the fine arts is evidenced by the works attributed to Neptune Thurston, Scipio Moorehead, and others of comparable skill in the eighteen century. But the majority (whites) felt that blacks lacked the intellectual capacity to engage in any form of art not closely associated with labor, and few people (whites) were willing to permit aspiring black artists the opportunity to test their skills.
The Art of Africans in the Diaspora is an attempt to present the facts in an objective manner for all to see the value of the African artists in the diaspora.
Alvin L. Pondexter teaches art at Florida International University. He has also been a professor in the Visual & Performing Arts Department at Florida Memorial University. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida A & M University in Art Education, with a minor in Fine Arts, in Tallahassee, Florida. Besides, he earned the Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Pondexter's work has been exhibited throughout Florida (Miami-Dade County, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tallahassee), Wisconsin (Madison and Milwaukee), and Atlanta, Georgia.