War had a profound effect on Horace Pippin. Stationed in Europe during World War I, Pippin saw active combat as part of the Harlem Hellfighters regiment, a group of mostly…

For a few shining years Countee Cullen seemed destined to define the African American urban experience. A gifted poet, Cullen wrote some of the outstanding works of the 1920s, and…

A bandleader and trumpet player, Miles Davis was one of the twentieth century’s greatest musicians. Performing with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker early in his career, Davis…

Rome was the city that conquered the entire Mediterranean world. For almost 500 years, it presided over that world, shaping it, and providing instruction for all those who came later…