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"Into Bondage" by Aaron Douglas was premiered in 1936 at the Texas centennial exposition for the hall of Negro life. The picture is meant to portray African-American history, especially history. Douglas belief that knowing the past better was the way to help move forward.

The way I interpreted this painting is Aaron Douglas is trying to remind the racists that white people enslaved them years ago and now they are free but they don't feel free. Another way that I interpret this is Aaron Douglas is telling the black community that they have come very far.

"Into Bondage" by Aaron Douglas clearly exhibited sending slaves across seas and trading them for goods, the man on the platform is clearly looking at the North Star, he is looking for freedom, because during that time, the North Star guided escapen slaves through the Underground Railroad. The radiating light seems to resemble the sun and what a new day may bring, like a new life away from slavery, the other man with arms in the air seem to have the same atitude, but the rest of them seem to have lost their hope in this new life. Their hearts have been beaten to believe nothing good will come.

In "Aspiration", painted by Aaron Douglas, an idea of hope is depicted. After observing the image, I noticed that the people on the foreground are handcuffed. This leads me to the conclusion that they are slaves. Also, everyone seems to be reaching/pointing toward an illuminated, well-built building. Light usually symbolizes hope, so I presume that the it gives the slaves a glimmer of freedom. Finally, I observed that there is a large star in the direction that the people are pointing. In the Underground railroad, the North Star led the slaves to freedom. So again, Douglas illustrated hope through a sort of light.

Paintings by Aaron Douglas show a pattern of freedom, escape from slavery, this pattern is shown by a bright star which slaves followed through the Underground Railroad when they were escaping. This light gives them hope, hope radiates from the center of the picture and the slaves below raise their arms in praise and excitement. This optimism is bright in comparison to the negativity in the poem "Enslaved" by Claude McKay. "For weary centuries despised, oppressed, Enslaved and lynched, denied a human place In the great life line of the Christian West; And in the Black Land disinherited" Says Claude McKay as he speaks of his people, who were wrongly treated for their colors and cultures. They were rejected their god given rights and mistreated under the hands of the Christian West. This negative poem shows the cruelty and disgust of slavery in America, and reflects how Claude McKay thinks of it.

This picture represents hope because even though these people are being sold they believe they can create a new life in the city.

I think this picture shows the African Americans celebrating with music and the arts that they now have freedom to express. They seem happy and hopeful of the future now that they were free.

"Let America be America again" by Langston Hughes and "From Slavery to Reconstruction "by Aaron Douglas These work of writing and art, both by different men but in the same time period, depict America as a great hope or a great oppression. In the picture, " From Slavery to Reconstruction" There seems to be a bright source, just like most of his paintings. I believe if he wanted to show America being a terrible nation, he would have made the whole painting dark and gloomy, therefore making people interpret that there is no light, thus no hope. In" Let America Be America Again" He talks about how America is a faux, filled with ulterior motives, and a place where dreams are let down.He also says that they should just let America be what it was seen as in the eyes of dreamers. But he damped the notion when he said in pasrtheseses " ( it was never America for me)" . Both these pieces paint two entire different pictures of America. This shows that the outlook people have on America varies from their experience with the people and the politics.

This painting also represents similar traits as "Into Bondage", shows slavery and African-American history. Also represents hope, the man is standing with an instrument and light is shining down. Hope through music.

This poem shows hope because the people are very proud about what they are doj g and there is a light shining on them to show hope

This picture represents hope because if you keep moving you will make it to your goal. Also the are try to reach New York and they finally see the city.

This painting seems hopeful because of the way the people seem to be heading towards the building and the building is illuminated with bright light.

The painting "The Aspects of Negro Life: An Idyll of the Deep South" by Aaron Douglas depicts slaves going about their daily activities. Some slaves are are working in the field and some are playing instruments. But one slaves attention is captured by a very bright star in the sky. This painting shows hope because he is looking to the star for hope.

This picture is the fourth one down from the top. It shows hopefulness because he is looking out the window toward the light outside the window.