The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was first inhabited by Central Africans, including the ancestors of the Mbuti, Baka, and Batwa peoples, approximately 90,000 years ago. The Bantu expansion reached the Democratic Republic of the Congo about 3,000 years ago, bringing with it the rise of the Kingdom of Kongo, which ruled the region around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to the 19th centuries. In the northeast, center, and east, other kingdoms, such as the Azande, Luba, and Lunda, dominated from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century. However, this rich and vibrant history was soon overshadowed by the devastating consequences of European colonization, when King Leopold of Belgium seized the region, leading to widespread exploitation, conflict, and suffering throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the heart of Mississippi, the city of Jackson sits on the traditional land of the Choctaw Nation, the historical culture of the Muskogean-speaking Indigenous peoples who had lived in the area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Despite being forcibly removed along the Trail of Tears, a significant number of Choctaws chose to stay in their homeland, citing Article XIV of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Today, most Choctaws in Mississippi have reorganized and are part of the federally recognized Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Bamana Ci Wara Headdress, Mali, LJ-01. Donated by Lawrence and Maria Jones.
It was against this backdrop that Jackson State University was established in 1877 in Natchez, as Natchez Seminary, with the goal of educating Black teachers and ministers. In 1949, Lawrence Arthur Jones, the founding Chair of the Art Department, arrived at Jackson State, bringing with him a diverse arts curriculum and a passion for collecting historically significant paintings by African American artists and works of art from Africa. This led to the creation of the Jackson State University African Art Collection, which today includes works generously donated by James and Beatrice Anderson and Thomas Carroll.
This diverse and precious collection is now a valuable research and teaching resource, showcasing the artistic heritage of two lands and the people who have shaped their histories. From the ancient kingdoms of the Congo to the contemporary expressions of African American art, the Jackson State University Art Collection is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and cultural wealth of these two lands and their people.
References and further reading:
Gondola, Ch. Didier. The history of Congo. (2002). United Kingdom: Greenwood Press.
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. (2018). History.
Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. (2002). The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People’s History. Zed Books Ltd.
INSTRUMENTAL AVATARS
Situating the Exhibition
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was first inhabited by Central Africans, including the ancestors of the Mbuti, Baka, and Batwa peoples, approximately 90,000 years ago. The Bantu expansion reached the Democratic Republic of the Congo about 3,000 years ago, bringing with it the rise of the Kingdom of Kongo, which ruled the region around the mouth of the Congo River from the 14th to the 19th centuries. In the northeast, center, and east, other kingdoms, such as the Azande, Luba, and Lunda, dominated from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century. However, this rich and vibrant history was soon overshadowed by the devastating consequences of European colonization, when King Leopold of Belgium seized the region, leading to widespread exploitation, conflict, and suffering throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the heart of Mississippi, the city of Jackson sits on the traditional land of the Choctaw Nation, the historical culture of the Muskogean-speaking Indigenous peoples who had lived in the area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Despite being forcibly removed along the Trail of Tears, a significant number of Choctaws chose to stay in their homeland, citing Article XIV of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Today, most Choctaws in Mississippi have reorganized and are part of the federally recognized Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
It was against this backdrop that Jackson State University was established in 1877 in Natchez, as Natchez Seminary, with the goal of educating Black teachers and ministers. In 1949, Lawrence Arthur Jones, the founding Chair of the Art Department, arrived at Jackson State, bringing with him a diverse arts curriculum and a passion for collecting historically significant paintings by African American artists and works of art from Africa. This led to the creation of the Jackson State University African Art Collection, which today includes works generously donated by James and Beatrice Anderson and Thomas Carroll.
This diverse and precious collection is now a valuable research and teaching resource, showcasing the artistic heritage of two lands and the people who have shaped their histories. From the ancient kingdoms of the Congo to the contemporary expressions of African American art, the Jackson State University Art Collection is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and cultural wealth of these two lands and their people.
References and further reading:
Gondola, Ch. Didier. The history of Congo. (2002). United Kingdom: Greenwood Press.
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. (2018). History.
Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. (2002). The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People’s History. Zed Books Ltd.