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Archibald John Motley, Jr.: Issues of Race

Archibald John Motley, Jr. (1891-1981) saw first hand the negative stereotypes placed upon African Americans that had been endured since times of slavery. Therefore, he realized the invocative power of images within a culture. Motley then began his quest to transform America's stereotypical Negro perspective. In spite of his honorably proclaimed goals, "there is still a hint of [racial] exclusion reflected in his life and his work…" (Leath, 2). Motley's apparent issues with race are what this paper shall attempt to explore.
The 1925 portrait, The Octoroon Girl, and 1922's Octoroon, are two of several portraits painted of mulatto women by Motley. They possess a dignified air, distinguished dress, and have very attractive European facial features. They are certainly not representative of the African American majority—part of the exception not the ‘rule'. These paintings serve as documentation of two specific things:......

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Approximate Word Count: 1903
Approximate Pages: 8 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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