Biography
Early Life
Faith Willi Jones was born on October 8, 1930, in Harlem, New York City. Her mother, Willi Posey Jones, was a fashion designer. Her father, Andrew Jones, drove a truck for the city. Growing up during the Harlem Renaissance, Faith watched writers, musicians, and painters express Black pride through their art. Severe asthma kept her home from school for weeks at a time. Her mother gave her drawing pads and cloth scraps to fill the hours. Those early lessons with art stayed with her. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from City College of New York in 1955 and began teaching art in public schools.
Religious Faith and Activism
Ringgold’s grandmother was active in the Abyssinian Baptist Church. This congregation is known for connecting faith with social action. That tradition stayed in the family. Though Ringgold is not known as a preacher, her art draws on themes found throughout the Bible — freedom, deliverance, and community. She uses her art to push viewers to think about right and wrong.
Artistic and Political Breakthrough
Ringgold joined the fight through her work as an artist during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. She created the American People series between 1963 and 1967. It captured the daily tensions of racism in America. She helped organize the People’s Flag Show at Judson Memorial Church on November 9, 1967. It was to protest laws that made it illegal to deface the American flag. Police raided the show and arrested Ringgold. The case drew national attention and was later overturned. This sets an important precedent for free speech. That same year, she helped start the New York chapter of the National Black Feminist Organization. This was her platform to bring race, gender, and art in a single voice.
Quilts, Storytelling and International Reach
Ringgold made her first story quilt in 1983. She combined the tradition of African American quilting with the visual style of Tibetan tankas. She created her most well-known quilt, Tar Beach, in 1988. It follows a young girl who dreams of flying above the rooftops of Harlem. Her quilts traveled to exhibitions across Europe, Africa, and Asia, carrying her message to audiences around the world.
Education and Later Work
Ringgold has written and illustrated more than 20 children’s books. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for Tar Beach in 1992. Her books cover a wide range of subjects rooted in African American life and history. She introduces young readers to Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks. She brings t Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and vision to children in My Dream of Martin Luther King. She takes readers on an imagined journey through the Underground Railroad in Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky. She brings portraits of African American women heroes to life on the pages of Dinner at Aunt Connie’s House. Ringgold weaves art and history together to give children a sense of pride in who they are and where they come from through each story.
Faith Willi Jones Ringgold has taught at the University of California, San Diego since 1987. She guides a new generation of artists. Her work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Smithsonian. In 2020, the New York Times called her one of the most important living American artists.
