On Tuesday, April 29, the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art hosted artist Amanda Williams in conversation with musician and Grammy Award-winning artist Corinne Bailey Rae to discuss Williams’ new book, What Black Is This, You Say?
The evening brought together two influential Black women from distinct creative disciplines, offering students and attendees a glimpse into the intersections of art, music, identity, and process. The book expands on Williams’ acclaimed public art installation of the same name, which was first displayed at New York City’s Storefront for Art and Architecture between 2021 and 2023.
Dr. Liz Andrews, executive director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, highlighted the value for Spelman students in attendance.
“The thing about art and creativity is that there are things that transcend genre,” Andrews said. “Artists are often skilled in many areas, but we rarely get to hear about their process. This conversation gave us insight not only into their artistry, but into their friendship and how they navigate creative lives as Black women.”
Williams, a MacArthur “genius grant” recipient trained in architecture, explained how the project began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when she started posting daily images on social media with the question, “What Black is this?” These images and captions, which served as a satirical and introspective response to a time of racial reckoning, evolved into an interactive public artwork.
The publication features Williams’ work expanded through essays, poems and reflections by an intimate group of Williams’ peers and collaborators — including Roxane Gay, Jenna Wortham and Bailey Rae herself.
Bailey Rae’s contribution reflects on Williams’ Stevie Wonder–inspired pieces. Her essay, titled Stevie’s Eyelids Black, highlights the subversive power of Wonder’s work.
“Stevie’s got this thing of like, ‘a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,’” she said. “His music is beautiful, lyrical, and washes through you — but it’s also deeply radical, tackling poverty, racism and institutional oppression.”
Bailey Rae shared why returning to Spelman was personally meaningful.
“This is my second time speaking at Spelman, and I feel a deep connection to this place,” she said. “It’s an academic space, an all-Black space, a female space — something I never experienced during my own education, where I was often the only Black student and had no Black professors.”
She reflected on her early career in the U.K. music industry, where diversity was scarce behind the scenes.
“When I signed with EMI in the early 2000s, I sat at a table with 20 white executives. By the time I left, I’d worked with maybe one Black person in a leadership role. Yet, so many of the artists were Black. That’s why a place like Spelman is so powerful — it’s intentional about championing Black women’s work in spaces designed for and by them.”
Bailey Rae also emphasized the mentorship she has found through her friendship with Williams.
“Amanda’s amazing — she’s Black, a woman, trained as an architect, and an artist. Our paths may differ, but we’ve built this connection. I can ask her real questions — about hiring, tough conversations, and managing a team. These are things I’ve had to figure out alone as an artist running a business.”
The exhibition marks the first time many of Williams’ pandemic-era paintings have been shown together. The show will run till May 24, 2025.
