This historic photograph captures Romare Bearden during the early days of the Cinque Gallery, the nonprofit exhibition space he co-founded in 1969 with fellow artists Norman Lewis and Ernest Crichlow. Named after Sengbe Pieh (Cinqué), leader of the 1839 Amistad rebellion, the gallery was envisioned as a platform for underrepresented artists of color. Bearden’s activism in creating institutional support for Black artists is a vital yet often underrecognized aspect of his legacy.