Allan R. Freelon, Nine Coming Up

Nine male miners emerge from a mine shaft carrying pails and flashlights. A late work by Freelon, this painting refers to a historic vote by the mine workers’ union to guarantee equal pay for black and white members. With coal dust covering the faces of the workers, their race is difficult to determine. As an artist keenly aware of the injustices faced by African Americans, Freelon frequently used his work to promote civil rights.