Tom Feelings (May 19, 1933 – August 25, 2003) was an artist,
cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
, children's book
illustrator, author, teacher, and
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
. He focused on the
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensla ...
experience in his work. His most famous book is ''The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo''.
Feelings was the recipient of numerous awards for his art in children's picture books. He was the first African-American artist to receive a
Caldecott Honor
The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
,
and was the recipient of a grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
in 1982.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he lived in New York City,
Ghana,
Guyana, and Columbia, South Carolina.
["The Artist: Tom Feelings,"](_blank)
''Juneteenth''.
Biography
Feelings was born on May 19, 1933, in the
Bedford-Stuyvesant section of
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, beh ...
.
Feelings studied cartooning at the
Cartoonists and Illustrators School
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
from 1951 to 1953 and, after serving in the Air Force working in the Graphics Division, returned to New York to study illustration at the now-renamed School of Visual Arts from 1957 to 1960.
His earliest known (signed) comic book work may be the story "Scandal" in Key Publication's third issue of ''Radiant Love'' (February 1953).
Feelings created the groundbreaking comic strip ''Tommy Traveler In the World of Negro History'' for the ''
New York Age
''The New York Age'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1887. It was widely considered one of the most prominent African-American newspapers of its time. '' in 1958. ''Tommy Traveler'' is a black youth's dream adventures in American history while reading of notable black heroes. This material was released in book form in 1991.
In 1960 Feelings illustrated ''The Street Where You Live'', a four-color comic for the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
's pamphlet on
voter registration. Another example of Feelings's early work are the illustrations that accompanied "The Negro in the U.S." for ''
Look
To look is to use sight to perceive an object.
Look or The Look may refer to:
Businesses and products
* Look (modeling agency), an Israeli modeling agency
* ''Look'' (American magazine), a defunct general-interest magazine
* ''Look'' (UK ma ...
'' Magazine, in 1961.
Feelings moved to
Tema
Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most popu ...
,
Ghana, in 1964 and served as illustrator and consultant for the ''African Review'', a magazine published by the Ghanaian government, until 1966.
In 1967, Feelings illustrated ''Crispus Attucks and the Minutemen'', the third in
Bertram Fitzgerald's ''
Golden Legacy'' series of comic books about black history that eventually included sixteen volumes and was published until 1976.
Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks ( – March 5, 1770) was an American whaler, sailor, and stevedore of African and Native American descent, commonly regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre and thus the first American killed in the Amer ...
, the first casualty of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, was also one of the historical figures that Feelings included in the ''Tommy Traveler'' comic strip.
From the late 1960s through the 1990s, Feelings concentrated on children's books, illustrating other authors' works as well as writing his own. Notable titles included ''
To Be a Slave
''To Be A Slave'' is a 1968 nonfiction children's book by Julius Lester, illustrated by Tom Feelings. It explores what it was like to be a slave. The book includes many personal accounts of former slaves, accompanied by Lester's historical commen ...
'' (written by
Julius Lester
Julius Bernard Lester (January 27, 1939 – January 18, 2018) was an American writer of books for children and adults and an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Lester was also a civil rights ...
), ''Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book'', ''
Jambo Means Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book'', and ''The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo''.
Feelings was married to fellow children's book author and his frequent collaborator
Muriel Feelings from 1969 to 1974.
Feelings was an artist in residence and professor of art at the
University of South Carolina in
Columbia, SC
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
from 1990 to 1996.
Feelings died aged 70 in 2003, in
Mexico, where he had been receiving treatment for
cancer.
Bibliography
Comic Books
* ''Tommy Traveler in the World of Negro History'' (1958-?)
* "Crispus Attucks and the Minutemen," ''
Golden Legacy'' #3 (1967)
Book Illustrations
* ''Bola and Oba's Drummer'' by Letta Schatz (1967)
* ''To Be a Slave'' by Julius Lester (1968)
* ''Zamani Goes to Market'' by Muriel Feelings (1970)
* ''Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book'' by Muriel Feelings (1971)
* ''Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book'' by Muriel Feelings (1974)
* ''Something on My Mind'' by Nikki Grimes (1978)
* ''Daydreamers'' by Eloise Greenfield (1981)
* ''Now Sheba Sings the Song'' by Maya Angelou (1987)
Words and Pictures
* ''Tommy Traveler in the World of Black History'' by Tom Feelings (1991)
* ''Soul Looks Back in Wonder'' edited and illustrated by Tom Feelings (1993)
* ''The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo'' by Tom Feelings (1995)
Artists' Books
* ''With Care'' by
Ruth E. Edwards, illustrations by Tom Feelings
Awards
''
To Be a Slave
''To Be A Slave'' is a 1968 nonfiction children's book by Julius Lester, illustrated by Tom Feelings. It explores what it was like to be a slave. The book includes many personal accounts of former slaves, accompanied by Lester's historical commen ...
'' was recognized in 1969 as a
Newbery Honor Book'', ''an
ALA Notable Book American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists, part of the larger ALA awards structure.
* ''ALA Notable Books for Adults'' (est ...
'',''
a Hornbook Fanfare Best Book'',''
the Library of Congress Children's Literature Center Best Children's Book,
the
School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year, and the
Smithsonian Best Book of the Year. It was given a 1970
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books annually by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" ...
.
Feelings was a 1972
Caldecott Medal
The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
Honor recipient with his wife Muriel Feelings for their book ''Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book''.
Muriel and Tom Feelings also received a 1974
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are a set of American literary awards conferred by
''The Boston Globe'' and ''The Horn Book Magazine'' annually from 1967. One book is recognized in each of four categories: Fiction and Poetry, Nonfiction, and ...
for the picture book ''Jambo Means Hello: A Swahili Alphabet Book.'' ''Jambo Means Hello'' was also 1975
Caldecott Medal
The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
Honor recipient.
Feelings's book ''The Middle Passage'' won the 1996
Coretta Scott King Award
The Coretta Scott King Award is an annual award presented by the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, part of the American Library Association (ALA). Named for Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., this award rec ...
. In addition, it won a special commendation
at the 1996
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
The Jane Addams Children's Book Award is given annually to a children's book published the preceding year that advances the causes of peace and social equality. The awards have been presented annually since 1953. They were previously given joint ...
ceremonies.
In 2001, the
South Carolina Department of Education
The South Carolina Department of Education is the state education agency of South Carolina. It is headquartered in Columbia at the Rutledge Building. The agency is overseen by an elected Superintendent of Education, currently Ellen Weaver. Pr ...
honored Feelings in its
African-American History Month calendar alongside
Merl Code,
Sanco Rembert
Sanco King Rembert (November 11, 1922–August 14, 2015) was an American Anglican bishop notable for being the first African-American bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Consecrated in 1966 to assist in the REC's Missionary Jurisdiction of t ...
,
Mamie Johnson
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson (September 27, 1935 – December 18, 2017) was an American professional baseball player who was one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro leagues.
Early life
Johnson was born Mamie Belton in ...
,
Bill Pinkney
Willie “Bill” Pinkney (August 15, 1925 – July 4, 2007) was an American performer and singer. Pinkney was often said to be the last surviving original member of The Drifters, who achieved international fame with numerous hit records. He ...
, and other notable black South Carolinians.
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* X, Marvin
"On the Passing of an Artist of the People: Tom Feelings" ''ChickenBones: A Journal''. Accessed July 18, 2013.
References
External links
– year 2000 exhibition of Feelings' work, McKissick Museum of the University of South Carolina
Golden Legacy websiteBiographies of Tom and Muriel Feelings and samples of Tom's comic book work, including his masterpiece for the NAACP, ''The Street Where You Live''*
*
Tom Feelings Artwork. James Weldon Johnson Collection in the Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feelings, Tom
1933 births
2003 deaths
American cartoonists
American children's book illustrators
People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
African-American illustrators
African-American comics creators
American comics creators
School of Visual Arts alumni
Deaths from cancer in Mexico
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people