Laini (Sylvia) Abernathy facts for kids

Laini (Sylvia) Abernathy (died 2010) was a talented American artist and activist. She played a big role in Chicago’s Black arts movement. Laini often worked with her husband, Fundi (Billy) Abernathy, who was a photographer.

Laini Abernathy's Artistic Journey

Early Life and Education

Laini Abernathy studied art at the Illinois Institute of Technology. This school is located on the South Side of Chicago. Her education helped her develop her unique artistic style.

Designing Jazz Album Covers

As a young artist, Laini was asked by Delmark Records to design album covers. These covers were for jazz music records. She created famous designs for albums like Sound (1966) by Roscoe Mitchell and Sun Song (1966) by Sun Ra. Some of these covers even showed photographs taken by her husband, Fundi.

Laini's designs often used special fonts inspired by Art Deco. This style uses bold shapes and strong lines. She also used bright blocks of color. Her art matched the new and exciting sounds of the jazz music. At that time, not many African-American artists were in charge of the visual side of jazz. Laini helped change this. She brought a fresh, modern look to jazz album art.

Joining the Black Arts Movement

In 1967, Laini joined a group called the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC). This group was formed to continue the ideas of Malcolm X. OBAC wanted to promote art, writing, and music that celebrated Black culture and freedom.

The Wall of Respect Mural

Laini Abernathy designed the layout for the Wall of Respect. This was a large street mural that honored important African American leaders. Her design divided the wall into different sections. Each section was then painted by a different artist or group of artists. This mural became a powerful symbol in Chicago.

"In Our Terribleness" Book

Later, Laini changed her name to Laini, an African name. In 1970, she designed an experimental photo book called “In Our Terribleness (Some Elements and Meaning in Black Style).” This book featured poems by Amiri Baraka and images by her husband, Fundi.

Laini Abernathy passed away in 2010. Even though she wasn't widely known, her artwork was very important. She helped create the cool, modern look that we now connect with 1960s experimental jazz music.