NARRATIVE: My original idea for this painting was to have a realistic painting of Abraham Lincoln sitting down in the same pose as the statue at the Lincoln Memorial. After I decided to have a black man representing a freed slave standing in front of Lincoln, I decided it was better to keep Abe as a statue because of the light contrast behind the dark skin of the black man.

Even before Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States, he was well-known for his opposition to slavery. His position and policies about it are some of the most discussed facets of his leadership career.

"If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong." – Abraham Lincoln