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COLEMAN 24

The South in the 1980's is indeed a patchwork quilt. It is Ismael Reed's notion of Gumbo. This essay has attempted to discuss a few of the artists whose art has deep roots in the South--either reflecting the South as a sense of place or a state of mind. The seminal role that the predominantly Black Colleges and Universities art departments have had in the development of an Afro-American fine art tradition in the South is discussed. Some of the African dimensions of Afro-American culture in the South were briefly adumbrated. To be sure, the musical and oral traditions, social organization and world view seen in the South have given Afro-American culture a distinct character which has spread throughout most of the United States. Down Home, Up South are words that reflect a certain perspective, a Southern point of view - indeed, Mama is Calling.