Historic Harlem Renaissance Painting Will Be Sold to Support Women’s Health Programs and Bennett College’s Future
A historic painting of Harriet Tubman , created nearly a century ago to inspire generations of Black women, is heading to auction for as much as $3.5 million. But rather than simply parting with a valuable piece of Black history, Bennett College plans to use the proceeds to invest in the future of the very women the artwork was created to empower.
The historically Black women’s college in Greensboro, North Carolina, will auction Aaron Douglas’ 1931 painting Harriet Tubman through Sotheby’s in New York on Nov. 18. The artwork is expected to sell for between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, making it the highest presale estimate ever placed on a work by the influential Harlem Renaissance artist.
The proceeds will support Bennett’s continued growth, including its Women’s Health Initiative, which aims to address healthcare disparities and advance health equity for women.
A Painting Rooted in Black Liberation
Commissioned in 1931 by Chicago philanthropist Alfred K. Stern, the painting was created specifically for Bennett College, an institution whose history is closely tied to Black education and empowerment…