Untitled (Night Train) c. 1941

Frederic James created this print, "Untitled (Night Train)," at an unknown date, using ink on paper. James, an African American artist born in the Jim Crow South, here evokes the haunting beauty of the railroad. Railroads were vital arteries of connection for African Americans, enabling mobility and community across vast distances, but they were also sites of racial violence and segregation. The artist's choice to depict the train at night casts a pall over the scene, conjuring the emotional weight of the Great Migration and the dreams and dangers encountered by Black Americans seeking refuge and opportunity in the North. The stark contrast between the inky sky and the faint light of the train suggests a world fraught with uncertainty. The image speaks to themes of movement and transition and invites us to reflect on the complex history of the railroad in the African American experience.